This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xiii kalendas apriles

ante diem xiii kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars (day 20)
  • Quinquatrus (day 2) — second day of a five-day festival (although the name originally came from the fact that it came five days after the Ides, apparently) sacred to Mars but also somehow connected to Minerva; it was also apparently a ‘school holiday’, so no doubt we’ll soon be reading about how the Romans invented Spring Break
  • 43 B.C. — Birth of Ovid (by one reckoning)
  • 268 A.D. — assassination of Gallienus

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xv kalendas apriles

ante diem xv kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars (Day 19)
  • Quinquatrus (Day 1) — a festival celebrating Minerva’s birthday (maybe)
  • rites in honour of Minerva (obviously connected to the above)
  • 11 B.C.E. — Herod dedicates his renovated Temple in Jerusalem
  • 303 A.D. — Martyrdom of Pancharius of Nicomedia
  • 363 A.D. — fire destroys the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xvi kalendas apriles

ante diem xvi kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars continues (day 18)
  • 37 A.D. — The dead emperor Tiberius’ will is annulled and Gaius (Caligula) is given the title “Augustus” by the senate
  • 235 A.D. (?) — murder of Alexander Severus at Moguntiacum (Mainz)

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem xvi kalendas apriles

ante diem xvi kalendas apriles

  • Festival of Mars continues (day 17)
  • Liberalia — a festival of general merriment and wine drinking in honour of Liber Pater (another name for Bacchus)
  • Agonalia — the rex sacrificulus would offer a ram to various deities
  • 45 B.C. — Julius Caesar defeats Pompey’s sons and Labienus at Munda
  • 136 A.D. — the future emperor Marcus Aurelius dons the toga virilis
  • 180 A.D. — death of Marcus Aurelius at Bononia
  • 461 A.D. — death of Saint Patrick (traditional)

This Day in Ancient History: nonae martiae

nonae martiae