After entering Athens,
Thaumas and the others found that the people seemed to be celebrating some kind of festival.
People gathered all around them, enjoying the festivities.
Thaumas noticed
that the Athenians were holding all kinds of athletic contests.
There were discus and javelin throws, long jumps, races, and wrestling matches. They heard the king would make an offering later, though that was still some time away.
Apparently, the events were not only acts of worship, but also a way to honor heroes and display strength, speed, and skill.
Theseus said excitedly to Thaumas,
"Thaumas, do you see? This is my hometown, Athens! They must be holding the Hundred-Bull Festival!
I wonder what day of the festival it is. This is my first time seeing it, after all. I'd only heard people talk about it before!"
Oh, so it was the Hundred-Bull Festival.
Thaumas nodded in understanding.
The Hundred-Bull Festival was a grand religious and athletic celebration held in Athens during Ancient Greece.
It was usually held in summer, though the exact date could vary by year and location.
The festival originated in the worship of the goddess Athena and gradually became a celebration for all Athenians.
It was also an important social occasion. People held banquets, celebrated, and mingled throughout the festival.
Plenty of people even treated it as an opportunity for matchmaking.
"But Theseus, do you know how the Hundred-Bull Festival began? I've never heard the story."
Thaumas had grown curious about this festival that, to him, had existed only in legend.
It was rather like an athletic meet, though not on the scale of the Olympic Games. The Hundred-Bull Festival might well have been their predecessor.
The event seemed to have continued until the rise of Christianity and the Roman Empire.
Thaumas had only read about it