Ἄρκτος ἢ Βραυρωνίοις

Women playing the bear used to celebrate a festival for Artemis dressed in saffron robes; not older than 10 years nor less than 5; appeasing the goddess. The reason was that a wild bear used to come to the deme of Phlauidoi¹ and spend time there; and it became tamed and was brought up with the humans. Some virgin was playing with it and, when the girl began acting recklessly, the bear was provoked and scratched the virgin; her brothers were angered by this and speared the bear, and because of this a pestilential sickness fell upon the Athenians. When the Athenians consulted the oracle [the god] said that there would be a release from the evils if, as blood price for the bear that died, they compelled their virgins to play the bear. And the Athenians decreed that no virgin might be given in marriage to a man if she had not previously played the bear for the goddess.