The Arretophoria or Arrephoria was apparently the Thesmophoria of the unmarried girl. Its particular ritual is fairly well known to us from the account of Pausanias. Immediately after his examination of the temple of Athene Polias on the Athenian Acropolis, Pausanias[334] comes to the temple of Pandrosos, ‘who alone of the sisters was blameless in regard to the trust committed to them’: he then adds, ‘what surprised me very much, but is not generally known, I will describe as it takes place. Two maidens dwell not far from the temple of Polias: the Athenians call them Arrephoroi, they are lodged for a time with the goddess, but when the festival comes round they perform the following ceremony by night. They put on their heads the things which the priestess of Athena gives them to carry, but what it is she gives is known neither to her who gives nor to them who carry. Now there is in the city an enclosure not far from the sanctuary of Aphrodite, called Aphrodite in the Gardens, and there is a natural underground descent through it. Down this way the maidens go. Below they leave their burdens, and getting something else which is wrapt up, they bring it back. These maidens are then discharged and others brought to the Acropolis in their stead[335].’ From other sources some further details, for the most part insignificant, are known. The girls were of noble family, they were four in number and had to be between the ages of seven and eleven, and were chosen by the Archon Basileus. They wore white robes and gold ornaments. To two of their number was entrusted the task of beginning the weaving of the peplos of Athene. Special cakes called ἀνάστατοι were provided for them, but whether to eat or to carry as _sacra_ does not appear. It is more important to note that the service of the Arrephoroi was not confined to Athene and Pandrosos[336]. There was an Errephoros (_sic_) to Demeter and Proserpine[337], and there were Hersephoroi (_sic_) of ‘Earth with the title of Themis’ and of ‘Eileithyia in Agrae[338].’ Probably any primitive woman goddess could have Arrephoria. Much is obscure in the account of Pausanias; we do not know what the precinct was to which the maidens went, nor where it was. It is possible that Pausanias confused the later sanctuary of Aphrodite (in the gardens) with the earlier sanctuary of the goddess close to the entrance of the Acropolis. One thing, however, emerges clearly, the main gist of the ceremonial was the carrying of unknown _sacra_. In this respect we are justified in holding with Clement that the Arrephoria (held in Skirophorion, June-July) was a parallel to the Thesmophoria. [Illustration: FIG. 13.]