Demetrius

But to resume the story, when Demetrius was getting ready to return to Athens, he wrote letters to the people saying that he wished to he initiated into the mysteries as soon as he arrived, and to pass through all the grades in the ceremony, from the lowest to the highest (the epoptica). Now, this was not lawful, and had not been done before, but the lesser rites were performed in the month Anthesterion, the great rites in Boëdromion; and the supreme rites (the epoptica) were celebrated after an interval of at least a year from the great rites.

And yet when the letter of Demetrius was read, no one ventured to oppose the proposition except Pythodorus the Torch-bearer, and he accomplished nothing; instead, on motion of Stratocles, it was voted to call the current month, which was Munychion, Anthesterion, and so to regard it, and the lesser rites at Agra were performed for Demetrius; after which Munychion was again changed and became Boëdromion instead of Anthesterion, Demetrius received the remaining rites of initiation, and at the same time was also admitted to the highest grade of epoptos.

Hence Philippides, in his abuse of Stratocles, wrote[*](Part of the fragment cited at xii. 4.):—

1. Who abridged the whole year into a single month,

1. Who took the acropolis for a caravansery,
2. And introduced to its virgin goddess his courtesans.