locks on his forehead, and blowing the ends of his cloak about the back and flanks of his horse. And the horse itself seemed conscious of the exceeding beauty of its master, as it arched its neck, and pricked up its ears, and frowned its brows, and advanced proudly, giving ready obedience to the rein, balancing on alternate shoulders, lightly striking the tips of its hoofs on the ground, and attuning its pace to a gentle motion." Interesting passages of Xenophon describe horses that prance as they ought in processions, and also lay down the duty of the leaders of a procession of horsemen (Xen. _Hipp._ 11 and _Hipparch._ 3). Before examining how far the frieze represents the Panathenaic procession in detail, it may be well to state what facts respecting the festival have been handed down to us by ancient authors. Its origin was ascribed in antiquity to pre-historic times. Its mythic founder was Erichthonios, the son of Hephaestos and foster-son of Athenè herself; and the festival is said to have been renewed by Theseus when he united all the Attic demes into one city. The goddess in whose honour it was celebrated was Athenè Polias, the tutelary deity of the Athenian Acropolis, where she was supposed to dwell in the "Old Temple," and where her worship was associated with that of Erechtheus, who dwelt under the same roof. A solemn sacrifice, equestrian and gymnastic contests, and the Pyrrhic dance, were all included in the ceremonial; but its principal feature was the offering of a new robe, _peplos_, to the Goddess on her birthday. The peplos of Athenè was a woven mantle renewed every four years. On the ground, which is described as dark violet and also as saffron-coloured, was interwoven the battle of the Gods and the Giants, in which Zeus and Athenè were represented. It was used to drape the rude wooden image of Athenè. The festival was originally an annual one, but after a time it was celebrated once every four years with more splendour and solemnity. The institution of this greater Panathenaia is attributed to Peisistratos. From his time (B.C. 560-527) dates the distinction between the Greater and the Lesser Panathenaia. The sons of Peisistratos added a contest of rhapsodes reciting the Homeric poems. The festival was further amplified by Pericles, who introduced a musical contest and himself acted as _athlothetes_ or judge.