Hellenic Calendar
What follows on this page is the festival calendar of the ancient Hellenes, with the focus on Athens unless otherwise specified. The days are numbered by way of the Hellenic calendar; one through twenty-nine or thirty. When the exact date is unknown, the festival is marked with a ‘(?)’ where the date should be. They are listed at the start of the month.
Hekatombaion
4 – Aphrodisia – festival of Aphrodite and Peitho (Persuasion), where the temple was purified with dove’s blood, the altars cleansed, and the two statues washed.
12 – Kronia – festival in honor of Kronos
16 / 15-16 – Sunoikia – community festival in Athens. Sacred to Athena. Two-day celebration every other year.
21 – Sacrifice to Kourotrophos, (Hekate &) Artemis at Erchia
23-30 – Panathanaia – main celebration on the twenty-eighth in honor of Athena. Greater held in the third year of each Olympiad, Lesser held annually for fewer days.
Metageitnion
(?) Metageitnios – most likely a festival of neighborhood, dedicated to Apollon Metageitnios (‘changing neighbors’).
(?) – Herakleia – in honor of Herakles at Kunosarges gymnaisium outside Athens
12 – Sacrifice to Demeter at the Attic deme of Erchia
12 – Sacrifice to Zeus Polieus, Athena Polias, and Apollon Lykeios in Athens
15-18 – Eleusinia – games held on forth year of every Olympiad, and on a lesser scale on the second year.
16 – Sacrifice to Kourotrophos, Hekate & Artemis at Erchia
19 – Sacrifice to The Heroines at Erchia
20 – Sacrifice to Hera ‘Telkhinia’ at Erchia
25 – Sacrifice to Zeus Epoptes at Erchia
Boedromion
2 – Niketeria – festival in honor of Athena, Nike, and perhaps Poseidon
3 – Plataia – festival of reconciliation, sacred to Hera Daidala
4 – Sacrifice to Basile in Erchia
5 – Genesia – public festival for the dead in honor of Gaea
5 – Sacrifice to Epops at Erchia
6 – Kharisteria – festival in honor of Artemis Agrotera
7 – Boedromia – a festival of thanksgiving for Apollon as a god who rescues people in war.
12 – Democratia – festival in honor of Democracy
13-23 – Eleusinian Greater Mysteries – in honor of Demeter
17 – Epidauria – in honor of Asklēpiós
27 – Sacrifice to the Nymphs, Achelous, Alochus, Hermes & Gaea at Erchia
27 – Sacrifice to Athena at Atic deme of Teithras
Pyanepsion
8 – Theseia – festival in honor of Theseus
8 – Oskhophoria – festival of the vintage (grapes)
9 – Stenia – women’s festival in honor of Demeter and Persephone
11-13 – Thesmophoria – festival in honor of Demeter
14 – Sacrifice to The Heroines at Erchia
19-21? Apatouria – paternity festival. The first day (Dorpia) was celebrated with a communal feast within the brotherhood, the second day (‘Anarrhusis’) sacrifice were made to Zeus Phratrios and Athena Phratria, and the third day (‘Koureotis’) young boys admitted to their father’s brotherhood.
30 – Khalkeia – festival in honor of Athena and Hephaestus.
Maimakterion
(10?) – Pompaia – festival in honor of Zeus Meilikhios (‘Kindly’) and Hermes.(16?) – Maimakteria – festival for Zeus Maimaktes (‘Blustering’) to be gentle come winter.
Poseideon
(?) – Rustic or Lesser Dionysia in honor of Dionysus
5 – Plerosia festival at Attic deme of Myrrhinus
8 (or equinox) – Poseidea – festival in honor of Poseidon
16 – Sacrifice to Zeus Horios at Erchia
26 – Haloa – fertility festival in honor of Dionysus and Demeter. Pomegranates, apples, eggs, fowls, and some species of fish were not to be consumed during the festivities.
Gamelion
8 – Sacrifice to Apollon Apotropaius, Apollon Nymphegetes, & the Nymphs at Erchia
9 – Sacrifice to Athena at Erchia
12-15 – Lenaia – festival in honor of Dionysus in the Attic deme of Limnai
27 – Theogamia/Gamelia – celebrating the sacred marriage of Zeus Teleios and Hera Telei
27 – Sacrifice to Kourotrophos, Hera, Zeus Teleius, and Poseidon at Erchia
Anthesterion
2 – Sacrifice to Dionysus at Erchia
11-13 – Anthesteria – wine festival in honor of Dionysus
20-26 – Lesser Mysteries in preparation for the Eleusinian Mysteries
23 – Diasia – festival in honor of Zeus Meilichios
Elaphebolion
6 – Elaphebolia – festival in honor of Artemis
8 – Asklepieia – in honor of Asklēpiós
10-14/10-17 – Greater (City) Dionysia in honor of Dionysus
15 – Sacrifice to Kronos
17 Pandia – festival in honor of Zeus, following the Greater Dionysia
Mounichion
4? – Sacrifice to Eros
6 – Delphinia – in honor of Artemis, and perhaps Apollon and Theseus
16 – Mounikhia – festival in honor of Artemis as the moon Goddess and Mistress of the animals
19 – Olympieia – festival in honor of Olympian Zeus
20 – Sacrifice to Leucaspis at Erchia
21 – Sacrifice to Tritopatores at Erchia
Thargelion
4 – Sacrifice to Leto, Pythian Apollon, Zeus, Hermes & Dioskuri at Erchia
6 – Sacrifice to Demeter Khloe
6-7 – Thargelia – birthday of Apollon and Artemis
16 – Sacrifice to Zeus Epakrios at Erchia
19 – Bendideia – festival in honor of Thracian Goddess Bendis
19 – Sacrifice to Menedeius at Erchia
Between 20 and 25 – Kallunteria – spring cleaning of the Temple of Athena
25 – Plynteria – festival of washing, where the statue of athena was removed from the city of Athens to be cleaned. Auspicious day.
Skirophorion
3 – Arrephoria – festival in honor of Athena; or, Arretophoria. Ending of the priestess term at the temple of Athena, for young handmaidens
3 – Sacrifice to Kourotrophos, Athena Polias, Aglaurus, Zeus Polieus, Poseidon & possibly Pandrosos at Erchia
12 – Skirophoria – festival in honor of Athena, Poseidon, Apollon & Demeter; the Tritopatores were worshipped at Marathon on the eve of this festival
14 – Dipolieia/Bouphonia – festival in honor of Zeus Poleius
28/29 (last day) – Sacrifice to Zeus the Savior and Athene the Savior