ante diem iv nonas maias

11 B.C. — dedication of the Theatre of Marcellus

ca. 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Florian in what would become Austria

ca. 304 A.D. — martydom of Pelagia at Tarsus

1406 — death of Coluccio Salutati (humanist and proto-Classicist)

kalendae maiae

1700 — death of John Dryden (poet and translator of many of the versions of ancient poetry which abound on the internet)

pridie kalendas maias

• ludi Florae (day 4)

• 65 A.D. — death of Marcus Annaeus Lucanus … a.k.a. Lucan (by one reckoning)

• 304 A.D. — beginning of Diocletianic persecutions under Galerius

• 311 A.D. — Edict of Toleration of Galerius

• 1936 — death of A.E. Housman

ante diem iii kalendas maias

• ludi Florales … a.k.a. Floralia (day 3) — a festival originally ordered in response to an interpretation of the Sybilline books in 238 B.C., it fell into desuetude only to be revived in 173 B.C.; it was a general festival of drinking and other merriment in honour of Flora, who presided over (of course) flowers and their blossoms

• ca 65 A.D. — martyrdom of Torpes of Pisa

• 259 A.D. — martyrdom of Agapius at Citra (along with quite a few others)

ante diem iv kalendas maias

• ludi Florales … a.k.a. Floralia (day 2) — a festival originally ordered in response to an interpretation of the Sybilline books in 238 B.C., it fell into desuetude only to be revived in 173 B.C.; it was a general festival of drinking and other merriment in honour of Flora, who presided over (of course) flowers and their blossoms

• 12 B.C. — consecration of the signum et ara Vestae on the Palatine; it was a shrine built by Augustus as pontifex maximus to house the palladium (maybe) which Aeneas brought from Troy

• 32 A.D. — birth of the future emperor-for-a-little-while Otho

• 1st century — martyrdom of Aphrodisius and companions in what would become Languedoc

• 304 A.D. — martyrdom of Pollio in Pannonia

• Floralia update: yesterday I was wondering about the connection to Chloris … an rc reader (Elspeth) emailed me via the forum (thanks!) to say: In his “Fasti”, Ovid tells the story (through an interview of Flora) of how she was once a nymph called Chloris who was loved by Zephyr, the west wind, who gave her power over flowers. Her name became Flora in Latin. I think this is in book five of the Fasti …