a festival at Sparta in honour of Diana Orthia, which received that name ἀπὸ τοῦ μαστίγων, from whipping, because boys were whipped before the altar of the goddess. These boys, called Bomonicæ, were originally free-born Spartans, but in the more delicate ages they were of mean birth, and generally of a slavish origin. This operation was per- formed by an officer in a severe and unfeeling manner; and that no compassion should be raised, the priest stood near the altar with a small light statue of the god- dess, which suddenly became heavy and insupportable if the lash of the whip was more lenient or less rigor- ous. The parents of the children attended the solemn- ity, and exhorted them not to commit anything either by fear or groans, that might be unworthy of Laconian education. These flagellations were so severe, that the blood gushed in profuse torrents, and many expired under the lash of the whip, without uttering a groan, or betraying any marks of fear. Such a death was reckoned very honourable; and the corpse was buried with much solemnity with a garland of flowers on its head. The origin of this festival is unknown. Some suppose the Lycurgus first instituted it to inure the youth of Lacedemon to bear labour and fatigue, and render them insensible to pain and wounds. Others maintain, that it is a mitigation of an oracle, which ordered that human blood should be shed on Diana's altar; and according to their opinion, Orestes first in- troduced that barbarous custom, after he had brought Diana, the statue of Diana Taurica into Greece. There is another tradition which mentions, that Panianas, as he was offering up prayers and sacrifices to the gods, before he engaged with Mardonius, was suddenly at- tacked by a number of Lydians, who disturbed the sac- rifice, and were at last repelled with stones and stones, the only weapons with which the Lacedemonians were provided at that moment. In commemoration of this, therefore, that whipping of boys was instituted at Spar- ta, and after that the Lydian procession.