ymnastic games of this feast a
herald proclaimed, that the people of Athens had conferred a crown of gold
upon the celebrated physician Hippocrates, in gratitude for the signal
services which he had rendered the state during the pestilence.

In this festival the people of Athens put themselves, and the whole
republic, under the protection of Minerva, the tutelary goddess of their
city, and implored of her all kind of prosperity. From the time of the
battle of Marathon, in these public acts of worship, express mention was
made of the Plataeans, and they were joined in all things with the people
of Athens.

Feasts of Bacchus.

The worship of Bacchus had been brought out of Egypt to Athens, where
several feasts had been established in honour of that god; two
particularly more remarkable than all the rest, called the great and the
less feasts of Bacchus. The latter were a kind of preparation for the
former, and were celebrated in the open field about autumn. They were
named Lenea, from a Greek word(57) that signifies a wine-press. The great
feasts were commonly called Dionysia, from one of the names of that
god,(58) and were solemnized in the spring within the city.

In each of these feasts the public were entertained with games, shows, and
dramatic representations, which were attended with a vast concourse of
people, and exceeding magnificence, as will be seen hereafter: at the same
time the poets disputed the prize of poetry, submitting to the judgment of
arbitrators, expressly chosen for that purpose, their pieces, whether
tragic or comic, which were then represented before the people.

These feasts continued many days. Those who were initiated, mimicked
whatever the poets had thought fit to feign of the god Bacchus. They
covered themselves with the skins of wild beasts, carried a thyrsus in
their hands, a kind of pike with ivy-leaves twisted round it; had drums,
horns, pipes, and other instruments calculated to make a great noise; and
wore upon their heads wreaths of ivy and vine-branches, and of other trees
sacred to Bacchus. Some represented Silenus, some Pan, others the Satyrs,
all drest in suitable masquerade. Many of them were mounted on asses;
others dragged goats(59) along for sacrifices. Men and women, ridiculously
dressed in this manner, appeared night and day in public; and imitating
drunkenness, and dancing with the most indecent gestures, ran in throngs
about the mountains and forests, screaming and