The Ithomaia (Ancient Greek: Ιθωμαία) was the main annual festival of the Messenians in antiquity.
It was a festival dedicated to Zeus Ithomatas,[1] whose sanctuary was located at the peak of Mount Ithome in Messenia.
The Ithomaia festival included athletic competitions, musical contests, theatrical performances, and various cultural and artistic events.
The entire ceremony centered around the chryselephantine statue of Zeus Ithomatas, where the Nine Muses would bathe it in the klepsydra fountain, which still flows with water today.
[2] After the destruction of Ancient Messene by Alaric, the Ithomaia festival of antiquity came to an end.