THĒSEIA

( θησεῖα ), a festival celebrated by the A then i ans in honour of their national hero These us, whom they believed to have been the author of their democratical form of government. In consequence of this belief donations of bread and meat were given to the poor people at the These i a, which was thus for them a feast at which they felt no want, and might fancy themselves equal to the wealthiest citizens. The day on which this festival was held was the eighth of every month ( ὀγδόαι ), but more especially the eighth of Pyanepsion, whence the festival was sometimes called ὀγδόδιον . It is probable that the festival of the These i a was not instituted till B.C. 469, when Cimon brought the remains of These us from Scyrus to Athens.