The ancient Athenians loved festivals. One pair was called the Kallynteria and the Plynteria, the tidying-up and the washing festivals.
Once a year, women went to Athena’s temple and swept it out. They took the ancient wooden statue of Athena on a procession to the sea, where they washed it and draped in fresh clothes. The round-trip might have been seven miles.
Young men were allowed to appear in the procession, but they were decorations. Women ran this operation.
I was thinking about the art of cleaning while taking a break from mopping the floors at our place. The Navy discovered I had a talent for swabbing decks more than 50 years ago. You have to wonder about the ways different people think about gender roles.
The Athenians thought the day was unlucky and risky but celebrated anyway. The statue had a name: Athena, Guardian of the City. When the goddess was busy with her bath, who was protecting the city?
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