This Day in Ancient History: pridie idus octobres

pridie idus octobres

rites in honour of the Penates Dei — the Penates Dei were originally the penates who watched over the storehouse of the king (when Rome had such, obviously); at some point, the Penates Dei came to be identified with Castor and Pollux, but they still had a temple under their own name on the Velian hill which was apparently restored by Augustus.
223 A.D. — martyrdom of Calixtus

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem iii idus octobres

ante diem iii idus octobres

Fontinalia — a festival in honour of the divinity Fons, who presided over springs and wells; such sources of water were festooned with garlands for the occasion
54 A.D. — death of the emperor Claudius, purportedly succumbing to a plate of poisoned mushrooms dished up by his niece/wife Agrippina; dies imperii of Nero (son of Agrippina)

ante diem v idus octobres

Meditrinalia — a somewhat obscure festival in terms of origins which involved tasting old wine and new wine, apparently with the goal of being cured of diseases old and new.
ludi Augustales scaenici (day 7 — from 11-19 A.D. and post 23 A.D.)
304 A.D. — martyrdom of Tharacus

nonas octobres

rites in honour of Jupiter Fulgur — the deity who was responsible for daytime lightning was worshipped at a shrine in the Campus Martius
rites in honour of Juno Quiritis — a divinity possibly originally from Falerii and brought to Rome by evocatio in 241 B.C. was also worshipped at a shrine in the Campus Martius
ludi Augustales scaenici (day 3 — from 11-19 A.D. and post 23 A.D.)
ludi Augustales scaenici (day 5 — from 19-23 A.D.)
15 B.C. — birth of Nero Claudius Drusus (Drusus “Minor”), son of the future emperor Tiberius and Vipsania Agrippina
1st century A.D. (?) — martyrdom of Sergius and Bacchus … and Apuleius

iii nonas octobres

mundus patet – the mundus was a ritual pit which had a sort of vaulted cover on it. Three times a year the Romans removed this cover (August 24, Oct. 5 and November eighth) at which time the gates of the underworld were considered to be opened and the manes (spirits of the dead) were free to walk the streets of Rome.
ludi Augustales scaenici (day 1 — from 11-19 A.D. and post 23 A.D.) — festival in honour of Augustus involving primarily mime and pantomime theatrical displays
ludi Augustales scaenici (day 3 — from 19-23 A.D.)
287 A.D. — martyrdom of Palmatius