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 the Lares
• 14 A.D. — Augustus’ last official census comes to an end
• 330 — Constantine renames Byzantium and makes it his capital
• 1988 — death of E.T. Salmon (Samnium and the Samnites)