On the birthday of the Goddess the procession which conveyed the peplos to her temple assembled in the outer Cerameicos, and passed through the lower city round the Acropolis, which it ascended through the Propylæa. During its passage through the city the peplos was displayed on the mast and yard of a ship, which was drawn on rollers. In the procession of Rosalia at Palermo, a ship is employed for a similar purpose (Brydone, _Tour_, Letter xxx.). In this solemn ceremony, the whole body of Athenian citizens were represented. Among those who are particularly mentioned as taking part in the procession were the noble Athenian maidens, Canephori, who bore baskets, _kanea_, with implements and offerings for the sacrifice; the Diphrophori, who attended the Canephori with stools (_diphroi_); the metoik or alien Scaphephori, whose function it was to carry certain trays, _skaphæ_, containing cakes and other offerings; the aged Athenian citizens who bore olive branches, and were hence called Thallophori. It has also recently been ascertained that the selected maidens who prepared the peplos (the Ergastinae, and perhaps the Arrhephori) also took part in the Panathenaic procession. An Attic decree of 98 B.C. records that these maidens had performed all their duties, and had walked in the procession in the manner ordained with the utmost beauty and grace ([Greek: pepompeu[kenai ka]ta ta prostetagmena hôs hoti k[allis]ta kai euschêmone[stata]]), and had subscribed for a silver cup which they wished to dedicate to Athenè. After this preamble the decree doubtless awarded certain public honours such as are enumerated in an inscription found by Mr. Murray at Petworth. (_Bull. de Corr. Hellénique_, xiii., p. 169; _Athenische Mittheilungen_, viii., p. 57.) At the Greater Panathenaia each town in which land had been assigned to Athenian settlers contributed animals to the sacrifice, perhaps a cow and two sheep. The colonies also appear to have sent envoys who had charge of the victims. Chariots and horsemen took an important part in the procession. On this occasion appeared certain quadrigæ, which were only used in procession, and were hence called pompic chariots; and an escort of Athenian cavalry and heavy infantry completed the show. The arrangements for the sacrifice were under the direction of the hieropoioi, and the multitudinous procession was marshalled and kept in order by the demarchs, the hipparchs, and by the heralds of a particular gens, the Euneidæ.