At Eleusis also, Triptolemus, the son of Celeus, who was said to have invented the plough and to have been sent by Demeter round the world to diffuse the knowledge of agriculture, had a temple and threshing-floor.
Haloa, obviously connected with aces (" threshing-floor "), begun at Athens and finished at Eleusis, where there was a threshing-floor of Triptolemus, in the month Poseideon (December).
We learn that the destroying angel was stayed at the threshing-floor of Araunah the Jebusite,' and the spot thus sanctified was made a sanctuary, and commemorated by an altar.
At harvest the corn was cut high on the stalk with short sickles and put up in sheaves, after which it was carried to the threshing-floor and there trodden out by the hoofs of oxen.
The threshing-floor must be smooth and rammed hard to leave no crevices for weeds and small animals to get through.
