Carpea was a type of dance very in use between the enenos and magnesios, towns of Thessaly.
One of the dancers left his weapons and began to work and sow but always directing restless glances behind him like a man who fears something. The second one mimicked the action of a burglar approaching cautiously. As soon as he was seen of the first, he immediately took his arms and a combat was fought in cadence to the sound of a flute around the cart and the oxen. The raptor commonly won the victory, tied the farmer and took the oxen. Sometimes the farmer also got the victory. The origin of this dance was, according to some, the action of Mercury snatching the oxen of Admetus and according to others, was an exercise instituted to accustom the inhabitants of the field to defend themselves against the incursions of the robbers and the enemies.
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