062 - Agricultural Festivals

In this episode, we discuss the Attic calendar year with a focus on the agricultural festivals and ceremonies; starting in the fall at the time of sowing we work our way around the year, month-by-month, until it is time to sow once again; particular attention is given to the Thesmophoria and the Eleusinian Mysteries but a dozen or so other festivals are described, including the Pyanepsia, the Oschophoria, the Chalkeia, the Proerosia, the Apaturia, the Haloa, the Thargelia, the Skira, the Kronia, the Herakleia, and the Boedromia (excluded are the Rural Dionysia, the Lenaia, the City Dionysia, and the Anthesteria)

Attic Calendar:

Pyanepsion (late October / early November)

Maimakterion (late November / early December)

Poseideion (late December /  early January)

Gamelion (late January / early February)

Anthesterion (late February / early March)

Elaphebolion (late March / early April)

Mounichion (late April / early May)

Thargelion (late May / early June)

Skirophorion (late June / early July)

Hekatombaion (late July / early August)

Metageitnion (late August  / early September)

Boedromion (late September / early October)

Supplementary Resources (Videos, Photos, Other Podcasts)

Photo/Vase Painting of Eleusinian Mysteries

Photo/Remains of Telesterion at Eleusis

Photos/Eleusis Archaeological Site

Photos/Eleusis Archaeological Museum

Dropbox Link to Photos I took while at Eleusis


Recommended Podcast Episodes:
***Ancient History Hound - The Haloa

***Greek Myth Files - Demeter’s Grief and Loss

***Ithaca Bound - Greek Calendars in the 1st Millennium BCE

***MythTake - Ceres/Demeter

***Peopling the Past - Building a Mystery: Festival Processions