ANTHESPHORIA, in antiquity, a Sicilian festival instituted in honour of Proserpine. The word is derived from the Greek anthes, flower, and phora, I carry; because that goddess was forced away by Pluto when she was gathering flowers in the fields. Yet Festus does not ascribe the feast to Proserpine; but says it was thus called by reason ears of corn were carried on this day to the temples.—Anthesphoria seems to be the same thing with the florisertum of the Latins, and answers to the harvest-home among us.