As the Attic calendar turned toward the close of autumn, the people of Athens observed Plerosia (Πληρωσία), a festival whose very name means “fullness”  or “abundance.”  Falling within the month of Maimakterion (roughly late November to early December), Plerosia was a time to give thanks for the bounty of the harvest and to honor the gods who sustained life through the coming winter. A Festival of Gratitude and Completion While few direct references to Plerosia survive, schol

Among the most significant women’s festivals in ancient Greece was the Thesmophoria, a sacred three-day celebration in honor...

The ancient Greeks celebrated a wide array of festivals tied to their gods, agriculture, and community life. Among the lesser-known but...