Sacrificial offerings began for the most part at the actual time of the funeral. The custom of pouring libations of wine, oil, and honey at the grave was probably in general use.[74\5] Even the sacrifice of animals, such as was made at the funeral pyre of Patroklos and even of Achilles, cannot have been unusual at an earlier period. Solon expressly forbade the sacrifice of an ox at the grave.[75\5] At Keos, permission is just as expressly given for a "preliminary sacrifice to be offered at the funeral in accordance with ancestral custom".[76\5] When the funeral ceremony is over, the members of the family, after a solemn rite of religious purification,[77\5] put on garlands (they had previously avoided this[78\5]) and begin the funeral feast.[79\5] This also was a part of the cult of the dead. The soul of the dead man was regarded as being present--even as playing the part of host.[80\5] It was awe felt for the invisible presence that originally inspired the custom of speaking only praise of the dead at the funeral feast.[81\5] This feast was an entertainment given in the house of the dead man to the surviving members of his family. The dead man had a meal to himself alone, which was offered at the grave[82\5] on the third and on the ninth day after the funeral.[83\5] On the ninth day it appears that ancient usage brought the period of mourning to an end.[84\5] Where it was extended to a longer period the earlier series of offerings to the dead was prolonged proportionally. Sparta had a period of mourning lasting eleven days.[85\5] At Athens, in addition to the sacrifice on the third and ninth days, another funeral feast which might be repeated several times,[86\5] was held on the thirteenth day.[87\5] Even after the ceremonies attached to the funeral itself were at last over, the relations of the dead were by no means released from the duty of tending not merely the grave, but the soul of the deceased member of their family. In particular the son and heir had no more sacred duty to perform than the offering of "the customary things" (~ta\ no/mima~) to the soul of his father. These consisted above all of libations to be made to the dead on certain fixed and recurrent festivals. On the 30th of the month there was a traditional feast of the dead.[88\5] Besides this, every year at the "Genesia", when the birthday of the dead came round, the occasion was regularly celebrated with sacrifice.[89\5] The day on which he first entered this life is still of importance to the psyche of the dead man. It is plain that no impassable gulf was fixed between life and {168} death: it almost seems as though life went on quite uninterrupted by death.