This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iv nonas junias
Saecular Games continue (day 2) — the celebration of Rome’s anniversary continues 261 B.C. — death of Antiochus I Soter (I have not been able to confirm this date) 177 A.D. — martyrdom of Blandina, Alexander (and others) at Lyons (a.k.a. the Martyrs of Lyons) 193 A.D. — recently-deposed emperor-for-a-little-while Didius Julianus is murdered
This Day in Ancient History: kalendas junias
kalendas junias rites in honour of Carna, a nymph who was somehow associated with the health of bodily organs Saecular Games (day 1) — celebrating Rome’s thousand-year anniversary 388 B.C. — dedication of the Temple of Mars (and associated rites thereafter) 344 B.C. — dedication of the Temple of Juno Moneta (and associated rites thereafter) [...]
This Day in Ancient History: pridie kalendas junias
pridie kalendas junias 70 A.D. — Titus captures Jerusalem’s outermost wall. 1st century — martyrdom of Petronilla 170 A.D. — martyrdom of Hermias at Cappadocia 1723 — death of William Baxter (grammarian and translator of Latin)
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iii kalendas junias
ante diem iii kalendas junias 339 A.D. — death of Eusebius
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iv kalendas Iunias
ante diem iv kalendas Iunias Ambarvalia (?) 1905 — birth of E. Togo Salmon (Samnium and the Samnites)
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem v kalendas Iunias
ante diem v kalendas Iunias 585 B.C. — solar eclipse predicted by Thales of Miletus occurs during the battle of the Halys (another possible date) 20 A.D. — Drusus “Minor”, the son of the emperor Tiberius, celebrates an ovatio for his victories in Illyricum ca 250 A.D. — martyrdom of Heliconis
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi kalendas junias
ante diem vi kalendas junias 189 A.D. — birth of P. Septimius Geta, son of the emperor-to-be Septimius Severus and Julia Domna and brother of the emperor-to-be Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla) 270 A.D. — martyrdom of Restituta at Sora (?) 302 A.D. — Martyrdom of Julius at Durostorum 1265 — birth of Dante Alighieri
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vii kalendas junias
ante diem vii kalendas junias 17 A.D. — Germanicus celebrates a triumph for his victories in Germany 106 A.D. — martyrdom of Zachary in Gaul 107 A.D. — Trajan arrives in Rome and celebrates a triumph for his victories over the Dacians 303 A.D. — martyrdom of Felicissimus, Heraclius, and others at what is now [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem viii kalendas junias
ante diem viii kalendas junias rites in honour of Fortuna Publica Populi Romani Quiritium Primigeniaon the Quirinal hill 585 B.C. — Thales possibly predicted the eclipse on this day 535 B.C. — the foundations for the Second Temple at Jerusalem were begun 302 A.D. — martyrdom of Julius of Durostorum and companions
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem ix kalendas junias
ante diem ix kalendas junias Quando Rex Comitavit Fas — the rex sacrorum had to perform some sort of ceremony before the day’s legal business could be conducted (possibly connected to the idea of Regifugium) 15 B.C. — birth of the emperor-to-be-who-never-was Germanicus (brother of the emperor Claudius) 299 A.D. — martyrdom of Donatian and [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem x kalendas junias
ante diem x kalendas junias Tubilustrium — a purification of the battle trumpets which, like the one which occurred in March, was designed to prepare the troops for war (perhaps … this tubilustrium is somehow connected with the following) Festival of Vulcan 1270 B.C. — Pierre Henri-Archer suggests this day for the fall of Troy [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xi kalendas junias
ante diem xi kalendas junias 415 B.C. — The “mutilation of the herms” occurs, which would briefly delay the launching of the Sicilian Expedition (by one reckoning) 337 A.D. — death of Constantine I
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xii kalendas junias
Agonalia — the rex sacrificulus would offer a ram to various deities rites in honour of Vediovis 429 B.C. — birth of Plato (by one reckoning) 70 A.D. — Roman forces break through Jerusalem’s middle wall 194 A.D.(?) — Septimius Severus acclaimed as Imperator 293 A.D. (?) — elevation of Galerius to the rank of [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xiii kalendas junias
ante diem xiii kalendas junias 325 A.D. — Council of Nicaea opens (maybe) 1912 — birth of Moses Finley (Ancient Slavery and Modern Ideology, among others) 1957 — death of Gilbert Murray ((History of Ancient Greek Literature, among numerous other things)
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xiv kalendas junias
ante diem xiv kalendas junias c. 160 A.D. — martyrdom of Pudentiana 175 A.D. — Commodus departs for Germany 307 A.D. — martyrdom of Cyriaca and companions at Nicomedia 1795 — death of James Boswell, author of Life of Dr. Johnson,
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xv kalendas junias
ante diem xv kalendas junias 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Theodotus
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xvi kalendas junias
ante diem xvi kalendas junias 303 A.D. — martyrdom of Heradius 1510 — death of Botticelli (Birth of Venus, among other Classical subjects) 1902 — discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xvi kalendas junias
218 A.D. — Elagabalus recognized as emperor at Emesa
This Day in Ancient History: idus maias
idus maias Festival of Jupiter rites in honour of Mercury rites in honour of Maia the Argei are tossed into the Tiber from the Sublician Bridge …. 251 — martyrdom of Isidore of Chios 392 A.D. — death of the emperor Valentinian II
This Day in Ancient History: pridie idus maias
pridie idus maias rites in honour of Mars Invictus procession of the Argei (images of humans made from bullrushes) in anticipation of them being tossed in the Tiber tomorrow c. 130 A.D. — martyrdom of Henedina
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iii idus maias
ante diem iii idus maias Lemuria (day 3) 177 A.D. — martyrdom of Glyceria
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iv idus maias
ante diem iv idus maias 19 B.C. (?) — dedication of the Temple of Mars Ultor on the Capitoline 2 B.C. — opening of the Forum of Augustus 113 A.D. — opening of the restored Temple of Venus Genetrix 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Dionysius and Pancras at Rome
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem v idus maias
ante diem v idus maias Lemuria (day 2) — a private and public appeasement of the dead; the Roman paterfamilias would rise at midnight to conduct a ritual involving beans and bronze rites in honour of Mania – a Roman divinity who was considered the goddess of the dead; she was also the mother of [...]
This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi idus maias
ante diem vi idus maias 214 (?) A.D. — birth of the future emperor Claudius II Gothicus 232 A.D. — martyrdom of Felix and Palmatius 238 A.D. — murder of Maximinus Thrax (by one reckoning) 250 A.D. — martyrdom of Epimachus at Alexandria 251 A.D. — martyrdom of Alphius, Philadelphus, Cyrinus, and Benedicta at Leontini [...]
This Day in Ancient History
ante diem vii idus maias Lemuria (day 1) — a festival involving assorted rituals to keep the ghosts of one’s ancestors happy
