Panegyris

Panegyris a term used by the ancient Greeks to denote a meeting of an entire nation or people for the purpose of uniting together in worship. It was a religious festival, in which the people engaged in prayer, sacrifices, and processions, besides games, musical contests, and other entertainments. At these meetings poets recited their verses, authors read their productions, orators delivered their speeches, and philosophers conducted grave debates in the midst of assembled multitudes. At a later period the panegyris seems to have degenerated into a mere market or fair for the sale of all kinds of merchandise, and to have almost entirely lost its religious character.