Arkteia was the ancient Greek girls’ rite at Brauron in which participants symbolically served Artemis as a “bear.”
The ceremony took place at the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia near Brauron in Attica. Girls, generally before marriage, participated in rituals connected with the goddess and with the transition from childhood toward adult female roles.
The Greek word arkteia is related to arktos, meaning “bear.” Participants were described as “playing the bear,” probably wearing saffron-colored garments or otherwise performing symbolic roles associated with Artemis. Archaeological evidence from the sanctuary includes clothing dedications and objects connected with young girls.
Arkteia was not a single universally documented ceremony identical in every period. Ancient evidence is fragmentary, and scholars debate some details. It is nevertheless one of the clearest surviving examples of a Greek female initiation tradition connected with puberty, marriage preparation, and Artemis worship.