ANTHESPHORIA, in Antiquity, a Sicilian festival instituted in honour of Proserpine. The word is derived from the Greek anthes, flower, and phor, 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.—Anthephoria seems to be the same thing with the floriferium of the Latins, and answers to the harvest-home among us.