The Greeks An Introduction to Their Culture, 3rd edition

Women also had their own special religious festival from which men were excluded
such as the Thesmophoria, taking place over several days in various parts of Greece,
and celebrating Demeter as bringer of civilizing agriculture and social laws to do with
the home and family (see above p. 105). Women and girls took part in other festivals,
such as the Panathenaia at Athens, and sang parthenaia ‘maidens’ songs’ at Spartan
festivals (see p. 55). Nor on the evidence of Plato were they excluded from the
dramatic festivals even if they had no special role here, at least in the case of tragedy,

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FIGURE 35 Bronze figure of a Spartan woman semi naked in athletic pose, c.520–500
BC, GR1876.5-10.1 [Bronze 208]. Photo © The Trustees of the British Museum