This Day in Ancient History: ante diem vi idus novembres

ante diem vi idus novembres
  • 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 8) 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. [can anyone confirm for me that the Celtic Gwynn ap Nudd ‘opened the gates to the underworld’ on this day too?]
  • ludi Plebeii (day 5) — the festival in honour of Jupiter continues
  • 30 A.D. — birth of the future emperor Nerva

This Day in Ancient History: ante diem viii idus novembres

ante diem viii idus novembres

  • ludi Plebeii (day 3) — the major festival in honour of Jupiter continues
  • 63 B.C. — Lucius Sergius Catilina and his co-conspirators meet, with nefarious plans for the morrow
  • 15 (or 16) A.D. — birth of Julia Agrippina (“the younger”), daughter of Germanicus, sister to the emperor Gaius (Caligula), mother of the emperor Nero, wife of the emperor Claudius … a very powerful woman

Classical Words of the Day

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