ATH, or AATII  , an ancient town of the province of Hainaut, Belgium, situated on the left bank of the Dender . Pop . (1890) 9868; (1904) 11,201 . Formerly it was fortified, but after the change in the defensive system of Belgium in 1858 the fortress was dismantled and its ramparts superseded by boulevards . Owing to a fire caused by lightning its fine church of St Julien, dating from the 14th century, which had escaped serious injury during many wars, was destroyed in 1817 (since rebuilt) . This left the Tour Burbant as its sole relic of the middle ages . This tower formed part of the donjon of the fortress erected by Baldwin IV., count of Hainaut, about the year 1150 . Near Ath is the fine castle of Beloeil, the ancient seat of the princely family of Ligne . Ath is famous for its gild of archers; whose butts are erected on the plain of the Esplanade in the ~ centre of the town . The town militia has the privilege of being armed with bows and crossbows . Ath is also well known in Hainaut for its annual fete called le jaw de ducasse—ducasse being the Walloon word for kermesse (fete) . On this occasion a procession escorting figures of two giants, Goliath, called locally Goyasse, and Samson, forms the chief feature of the celebration .

The

emperor Joseph II. stopped it for its " idolatrous " character, but this act was one of the causes of the Brabant revolution of 1789 . The procession, revived in 1790, was again stopped by the French republicans five years later, but was revived under the Empire, and has flourished ever since .