This Day in Ancient History: ante diem x kalendas apriles

Justus Lipsius Justus Lipsius
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ante diem x kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars continues (day 23)
  • Tubilustrum — as part of the general military preparations which are associated with the festival of Mars, the ‘war horns’ (tubae) were ritually cleaned
  • Quinquatrus (day 5) — final day of the gladiator fest
  • 1606 — Death of Justus Lipsius

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xii kalendas apriles

ante diem xii kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars continues (day 21)
  • Quinquatrus continues (day 3) — originally a one-day festival with rites in honour of Minerva, by Ovid’s day it had been increased to five days, with the last four involving gladiatorial bouts
  • 1766 — death of Richard Dawes (Classical scholar)

This Day in Ancient History: pridie idus martias

Portrait of Alexander Severus. Marble, Roman a...
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pridie idus martias

  • Festival of Mars (day 14)
  • Equirria — the second of two days of horse racing (the first was on February 27) dedicated to Mars; the reasons are obscure, but probably have something to do with preparing horses for the upcoming campaigning season
  • 222 A.D. — Severus Alexander is given the title Augustus

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem v idus martias

Elagabalus
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ante diem v idus martias

  • Festival of Mars (day 11)
  • 222 A.D. — murder of the emperor Elagabalus
  • ca. 263 A.D. — martyrdom of Heraclius
  • ca. 300 A.D. — martyrdom of Thalus
  • ca. 300 A.D. — martyrdom of Trophimus
  • 1903 — birth of Ronald Syme (The Roman Revolution, among other seminal works)

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi idus martias

Tiberius - Paestum (M.A.N. Madrid) 02

ante diem vi idus martias