A new attempt to understand the structure and meaning of the of the Louvre Parthenion, through a comparison with the 3d Parthenion of Alcman and other data deriving from archaic lyric. The author thinks we have here a chant previous to the real “agon”, in which the (lost) prooemium was sung by Hagesichora, the choragus, and the preserved part was sung by the girls of the chorus leaded by her. They make references to the rival chorus which, «fighted» against them in an “agon” which followed the song of our Parthenion: the chorus of the Peleiades, with their choragus Agido. It is quite normal that the choral poem should make reference to the feast in which is inserted. In this feast, a peplus was offered to the goddess by both choruses, but there was also between them a contest of singing as well as dancing.

Peer reviewed