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The Thesmophoria was a festival held in honour of Demeter and Persephone. It was held annually, mainly around the time that seeds were sown in late autumn - although in some places it was associated with the harvest instead - and celebrated human and agricultural fertility. It was one of the most widely-celebrated festivals. Restricted to adult women, the rites practised during the festival were kept a secret. It is worth noting that while most evidence concerning Thesmophoria is in Athens, there is also information from elsewhere, including Sicily and Eretria.

Who participated?

Celebrated only by women, men were forbidden to see or hear about the rites. It is unclear whether all free women celebrated this festival, or whether this was restricted to wealthy and aristocratic women, but whatever the case it appeared that non-citizen and unmarried women did not participate. Participation was actually expected of all Attic wives, and could serve as a form of proof of marriage.

When did it take place?

In Athens, Thesmophoria took place over three days during the month of Pyanepsion - which correlates to late October in the Gregorian calendar - and was the time in the Greek year when seeds were sown. In other places, like Thebes for instance, the festival seemed to have taken place in the summer and was associated with the harvest. In other places, like Sicily, the Thesmophoria took place over ten days as opposed to just three.

The first day of the Thesmophoria at Athens was known as anodos, meaning ‘ascent’. This is usually thought to be because on this day the woman celebrating ascended to the shrine called the Thesmophorion, and because they celebrated Persephone’s ascent from the Underworld. Women would set up tents on this day, staying in these for the rest of the festival rather than at home.

Day two of the festival - nesteia - was a day of fasting to imitate Demeter’s mourning for the loss of her daughter. It is said that on this day, the women at the festivals would sit on the ground on seats made of plants which were believed to be anaphrodisiac.

The third day was kalligeneia, meaning ‘beautiful birth’. On this day it was said that women called upon the nymph Kalligeneia, who was worshipped as a goddess during this time, praying for their own fertility.

Note; the philosopher Plutarch noted that in Eretria, women did not call upon Kalligeneia during this festival.

Rites and Rituals

It is unclear what the rites and rituals included, but speculations have been made by many.

It is said that the celebrations included: ritual purity, cakes baked in the shape of snakes and male genitalia, fasting, hymns, and sacrifices. A common sacrifice that is spoken about is one involving the sacrificing of piglets and putting the remains into pits, only retrieving them after they have decayed. There are those who believed that these decayed remains, when mixed with grain, would ensure the divine protection of their crops. It is unclear as to whether or not this act of sacrificing pigs is completely factual, but I highly recommend reading ‘The Megara of the Thesmophoria: Reconciling the Textual and Archaeological Records’ by Katherine R L McLardy for more information regarding the assumed pits.