The New Moon with the Old Moon in Her Arms

In a yearly ritual the citizens of ancient Athens chased a couple in wedding regalia through the streets under a hail of stones, to shouts of Out with sickness and famine! In with health and wealth! The broken bodies were left to decompose outside the city gates. Normally the victims would come from among society’s downtrodden or outcasts, and exchange their lives for a year of luxury at the city’s expense. But in defiance of tradition, and as an expression of protest, a poet from an aristocratic family volunteers her flawless 30-year-old body. This is her story.