Panathenaea

American  

[pan-ath-uh-nee-uh] / ˌpæn æθ əˈni ə /

Also Panathenaia

noun

1. a festival in honor of the goddess Athena, celebrated yearly in ancient Athens, with each fourth year reserved for greater pomp, marked by contests, as in athletics and music, and highlighted by a solemn procession to the Acropolis bearing a peplos embroidered for the goddess.

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Panathenaea British  

/ pæˌnæθɪˈniːə /

noun

1. (in ancient Athens) a summer festival on the traditional birthday of Athena

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Example Sentences

The Corybantes, the Bacchantes, the rude primitive tragedians with their procession and goat-song, and the whole paraphernalia of the Panathenaea, which appear so antiquated and peculiar, have their parallel now.

From A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers by Thoreau, Henry David

Ion the rhapsode has just come to Athens; he has been exhibiting in Epidaurus at the festival of Asclepius, and is intending to exhibit at the festival of the Panathenaea.

From Ion by Jowett, Benjamin

At any rate, we know that in the 6th century B.C. a recitation of the poems of Homer was one of the established competitions at the Panathenaea, held once in four years.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 12, Slice 5 "Greek Law" to "Ground-Squirrel" by Various

In the lesser Panathenaea occurred, first, the torch-race; next, the gymnastic exercises; thirdly, a musical contention, instituted by Pericles; and lastly, a competition of the poets in four plays.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 03, No. 19, May, 1859 by Various

It also elects by lot ten others, known as Annual Commissioners, who offer certain sacrifices and administer all the quadrennial festivals except the Panathenaea.

From The Athenian Constitution by Kenyon, Frederic G. (Frederic George), Sir