THĒSAURUS (θησαυρός), a treasure-house. Tradition points to
subterranean buildings in Greece, of unknown antiquity and of
peculiar formation, as having been erected during the heroic period,
for the purpose of preserving precious metals, arms, and other
property (κειμήλια). Such are the treasury of Minyas, at Orchomenus,
of which some remains still exist, and those of Atreus and his
sons at Mycenae, the chief one of which, the so-called Treasury of
Atreus, still exists almost in a perfect state. It is, however,
very questionable whether these edifices were treasuries at all:
some of the best archaeologists maintain that they were tombs. In
the historical times, the public treasury was either in a building
attached to the _agora_, or in the _opisthodomus_ of some temple.
Respecting the public treasury at Rome, see AERARIUM.
THĒSEIA (θησεῖα), a festival celebrated by the Athenians in honour
of their national hero Theseus, whom they believed to have been the
author of their democratical form of government. In consequence of
this belief donations of bread and meat were given to the poor people
at the Theseia, which was thus for them a feast at which they felt no
want, and might fancy themselves equal to the wealthiest citizens.
The day on which this festival was held was the eighth of every
month (ὀγδόαι), but more especially the eighth of Pyanepsion, whence
the festival was sometimes called ὀγδόδιον. It is probable that the
festival of the Theseia was not instituted till B.C. 469, when Cimon
brought the remains of Theseus from Scyrus to Athens.
THESMŎPHŎRĬA (θεσμοφόρια), a great festival and mysteries, celebrated
in honour of Demeter in various parts of Greece, and only by women,
though some ceremonies were also performed by maidens. It was
intended to commemorate the introduction of the laws and regulations
of civilised life, which was universally ascribed to Demeter. The
Attic thesmophoria probably lasted only three days, and began on
the 11th of Pyanepsion, which day was called ἄνοδος or κάθοδος,
because the solemnities were opened by the women with a procession
from Athens to Eleusis. In this procession they carried on their
heads sacred laws (νόμιμοι βίβλοι or θεσμοί), the introduction of
which was ascribed to Demeter (Θεσμοφόρος), and other symbols of
civilised life. The women spent the night at Eleusis in celebrating
the mysteries of the goddess. The second day, called νηστεία, was a
day of mourning, during which the women sat on the ground around the
statue of Demeter, and took no other food than cakes made of sesame
and honey. On this day no meetings either of the senate or the people
were held. It was probably in the afternoon of this day that the
women held a procession at Athens, in which they walked barefooted
behind a waggon, upon which baskets with mystical symbols were
conveyed to the thesmophorion. The third day, called καλλιγένεια,
from the circumstance that Demeter was invoked under this name,
was a day of merriment and raillery among the women themselves, in
commemoration of Iambe, who was said to have made the goddess smile
during her grief.