A Letter Explaining The Experience Of The Festival Panathena

A detailed Summary of A Letter Explaining The Experience Of The Festival Panathena

The great festival of Panathenaia (the birthday festival of Athena) was held in the height of summer of the 28th day in Hecatombaion - if only you could have been there with me to experience it first hand. I'm just going to have to explain to you what happened!

We all gathered at the Dipylon gate at dawn on the morning of the feast, and arranged ourselves in the proper order. At the head of the convoy are the arrhephoroi (four virgins of noble birth) carrying the peplos (woven piece of rectangular cloth about 2 by 1.5 metres) for Athena Polias.

Behind the arrhephoroi were Athena's priestesses with the women bearing gifts for Athena. Next came the animals, ready for the sacrifice and the leaders of the sacrifice and anyone else involved in the sacrifice.

Metics, foreigners in there purple cloaks came next carrying offerings of cakes and sweet honey. On there tails are the holy water carriers and musicians playing there aulas and kithara.

Next come the old wise bearded men and the army commanders carrying olive branches. The Apobates, the armed warriors ride in chariots and run along. The cavalry follows the chariots on their horses, walking, trotting and cantering.

I brought up the rear, where the rest of the populati

Everyone gasped and at this moment I felt very proud to be Athenian and could see why they didn't allow non-Athenians through - it would after all only provoke feelings of envy and exclusion from them. They'd feel they were inferior to us Athenians.

The most perfect cows were then sacrifices to Athena Nike (the Victorious) in front of the Temple Of Nike, the small temple located on the right of the Propylaia.

The day left me with a sense of pride of being Athenian and awe of Athena and the strength she has given and will continue to give Athens.

The entrance to it was on the side, up a little flight of stairs. A colourful frieze surrounded the wall below the temple. The temple itself is quite small and has columns of the Ionic order. The pediment is plain, not wanting to distract from the great Parthenon itself.

The little girls handed the peplos to the ergastinai (the women who helped make it) as a crowd gathered around, who ceremonially carried the wooden statue down to the sea and washed it along with the peplos.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Athena Polias, Pediment Propylaia, , Athenians Erechtheion, Picture Gallery, Athena Erechtheion, Temple Nike, Panathenaic Agora, Fights Pheidias, Parthenon Prayers, dipylon gate, gathered dipylon, gathered dipylon gate,

Approximate Word count = 835
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Religion

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