festival celebrated by the Athenians, and which receives its name ἀπὸ τοῦ παρεῖναι ταῖς ἐξωγένειαι, from carrying boughs hung with grapes, which were called ἐξωγένειαι. The original institution is mentioned by Plutarch. Theseus, on returning from Crete, forgot to hang out the white sail, by which his father was to be apprized of his success. This neglect proved fatal to Ægeus, who threw himself into the sea, and perished. Theseus no sooner reached the land, than he sent a herald to inform his father of his safe return, and in the mean time he began to perform the sacrifices which he had vowed to make when he first set sail from Crete. The herald, on his entrance into the city, found the people in great agitation. Some lamented the king's death, whilst others elated at the sudden news of the victory of Theseus, crowned the herald with garlands in token of their joy. The herald carried back the garlands on his staff to the sea-shore; and, after waiting until Theseus had finished his sacrifice, he related the melancholy account of the king's death; upon which the people ran in crowds to the city, showing their grief by cries and lamentations. From this circumstance, therefore, at the feast of Oschophoria, not the herald, but his staff, was crowned with garlands, and the people who were present exclaimed ὁ ἄγγελος, lo, lo, the first of which expresses haste, and the others consternation or depression of spirits. The same author further mentions, that Theseus, when he went to Crete, did not take with him the usual number of virgins, but that instead of two of them, he took youths of his own acquaintance, whom he caused to pass for women, by changing their dress, and accustoming them to the ointments and perfumes of women, as well as by a long and successful imitation of the female voice. The imposition succeeded. Their sex was not discovered in Crete; and when Theseus had triumphed over the Minotaur, he with these two young men led a procession with branches in their hands, and wearing the same habits, which were afterwards worn at the celebration of the festival. The branches they carried were in honour of Bacchus or Ariadne, or because they returned in autumn, when the grapes were ripe. Besides this procession, there was also a race, in which young men only whose parents were both alive had permission to engage. It was customary for them to run from the temple of Bacchus to that of Minerva, which was on the sea-shore. The place where they stopped was called ἐξωγένειαι, because the boughs which they carried in their hands were there deposited. The reward of the conqueror was a cup called ἀπὸ τοῦ παρεῖναι ταῖς ἐξωγένειαι, five-fold, because it contained a mixture of five different ingredients, wine, honey, cheese, meal, and oil.