BENDIS

Thracian goddess of the moon; the Greeks usually identified her with the goddess Artemis. She is often represented holding two spears. Apart from areas adjacent to Thrace, the cult of Bendis gained prominence only in Athens. At the outbreak of the Peloponnesian War, the Athenians allowed the founding of a sanctuary for the goddess and shortly afterward created a state festival, the Bendideia, for her. The first celebration was held on the 19th of Thargelion (May-June), 429 BC, at the Piraeus, the seaport of Athens. The festival included two processions, a torch race on horseback, and a vigil; it provided the dramatic setting for Plato's Republic.