It  was  a  day  of  ill-fortune  and  depression.  But  the  third  was
the  anniversary  of  a  far  more  auspicious  event,  the  victory  of
Platsea.^      We  are,  however,  left  in  uncertainty  how  far  this

^  Many  of  these  vases  survive.  They  reach  us  mostly  from  Italy  and
Cyrene.  See  Monunienti  delV  Instituto,  x.  pi.  47,  48.  It  seems  clear  that
these  painted  vessels  cannot  have  contained  oil,  a  purpose  for  which  they
are  entirely  unfitted.     Cf.  Rayet  et  Collignon,  Ceramique  Grecque,  p.  129.
2  Mommsen,  Heortoloyie,  p.  208.
THE    ATTIC    CALENDAR  289

day  was  kept  as  a  festival  at  Athens.  On  the  5  th  of  the  month
was  held  the  important  festival  of  the  Genesia,  the  feast  of  the
dead.  Originally  it  seems  to  have  been  the  occasion  on  which
families  united  to  deplore  the  members  who  had  passed  from
them  during  the  year,  and  to  renew  by  sacrifice  their  relation
to  them  and  the  nether-gods.  But  this  dolorous  festival  was
redeemed  to  some  degree  of  brightness  by  being  connected  with
the  memorial  of  the  battle  of  IMarathon,  which  was  celebrated  on
the  6th.  It  was  said  that  before  that  great  victory  the  Athenian
Polemarch  Callimachus  had  vowed  to  Artemis  Agi'otera  a  goat
for  every  Persian  enemy  who  fell.  But  the  great  slaughter
which  took  place,  far  exceeding  his  expectation,  compelled  the
Athenians  to  commute  the  sacrifice  promised  for  500  goats,
which  were  annually  offered  to  the  goddess.  The  glorious
memories  of  Marathon  were  mingled  with  offerings  at  the
Marathonian  mound  ^  where  tlie  slain  Athenians  were  buried,
with  rejoicings  and  with  military  displays.
