This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi nonas martias

ante diem vi nonas martias

This Day in Ancient History: kalendae martiae

kalendae martiae

This was originally the beginning of the New Year for the ancient Romans (and the consuls would probably enter office on this date prior to 153 B.C.)
Festival of Mars, which included a procession of the Salian priests around the city singing their mysterious Carmen Saliare
“birthday” of the temple of Juno Lucina
Matronalia — a sort of ‘unofficial’ festival during which it was customary for hubbies to pray for the ongoing health of their spouses and give them presents; for their part, the wives apparently served the slaves (sort of like Saturnalia and Mother’s Day rolled into one)
509 B.C. — hot on the heels of the death of Lucius Junius Brutus on the battlefield (see yesterday), P. Valerius Poplicola delivers a funeral oration which Plutarch claimed ‘began the tradition’
293 A.D. — Co-emperor Maximian adopts Constantius, who is given the title Caesar (and it is possible that Diocletian similarly adopted and conferred a similar title upon Galerius)
2005 — birth of our dog, named by the rogueclassicist Tyche, but misheard by the liberi as Tyke …

ante diem v kalendas martias

ante diem vi kalendas martias

Regifugium — a festival which didn’t really happen on “February 24” but actually six days before the kalends of March, which was usually during a period of intercalation. Roman writers suggested this festival was a celebration of the expulsion of the Tarquins, although modern scholars have their doubts. Whatever the case, on this day the Rex Sacrorum would offer some sort of sacrifice in the Comitium and then run away as fast as he could …
259 A.D. — martyrdom of Montanus and several companions at Carthage
303 A.D. — edict of Galerius officially promoting the persecution of Christians (?)
304 A.D. — martyrdom of Sergius in Cappadocia
1463 — birth of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola (usually described as a “Neoplatonist”)
1999 — death of David Daube (author of Civil Disobedience in Antiquity, among numerous other works)

ante diem vii kalendas martias

Traditional end of the Roman year (followed by a period of intercalation)
Terminalia — a festival in honour of Terminus, the divinity who presided over boundaries. In Rome itself, Terminus had a shrine within the Temple of Jupiter beneath an opening in the roof because, it is said, when they were building the Temple of Jupiter, Terminus refused to move. What happened in the city is unclear, but the rustic version of the festival involved the following: at boundary stones, farmer families would gather and build a turf altar; a fire would be built and one of the younger members of the family would throw grain in the fire three times. Others offered other things like honeycombs and wine, then a sheep or pig would be sacrificed and a feast would follow.
155 A.D. — martyrdom of Polycarp at Smyrna
303 A.D. — “Great Persecution” of Diocletian begins in Nicomedia
303 A.D. — martyrdom of Serenus the Gardener at Sirmium