THESMŎPHŎRĬA

( θεσμοφόρια ), a great festival and mysteries, celebrated in honour of Demeter in various parts of Greece, and only by women, though some ceremonies were also performed by maidens. It was intended to commemorate the introduction of the laws and regulations of civilised life, which was universally ascribed to Demeter. The Attic thesmophoria probably lasted only three days, and began on the 11th of Pyanepsion, which day was called ἄνοδος or κάθοδος , because the solemnities were opened by the women with a proce ion from Athens to Eleusis. In this proce ion they carried on their heads sacred laws ( νόμιμοι βίβλοι or θεσμοί ), the introduction of which was ascribed to Demeter ( Θεσμοφόρος ), and other symbols of civilised life. The women spent the night at Eleusis in celebrating the mysteries of the godde . The second day, called νηστεία , was a day of mourning, during which the women sat on the ground around the statue of Demeter, and took no other food than cakes made of sesame and honey. On this day no meetings either of the senate or the people were held. It was probably in the afternoon of this day that the women held a proce ion at Athens, in which they walked barefooted behind a waggon, upon which baskets with mystical symbols were conveyed to the thesmophorion. The third day, called καλλιγένεια , from the circumstance that Demeter was invoked under this name, was a day of merriment and raillery among the women themselves, in commemoration of Iambe, who was said to have made the godde smile during her grief.