Kalendae Ianuariae Invocation to Janus

Each kalends is sacred to Juno, and the January kalends is also sacred to Janus.

Two-headed Janus, source of the silently gliding year, The only god who is able to see behind him, Be favourable to the leaders, whose labours win Peace for the fertile earth, peace for the seas: Be favourable to the senate and Roman people, And with a nod unbar the shining temples. A prosperous day dawns: favour our thoughts and speech! Let auspicious words be said on this auspicious day.

January Calendar

January is named for Janus, god of doorways, endings and beginnings.

The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno and the first of this month is also sacred to Janus. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).

Invocation and hymn to the new year.

From Ovid's Fasti in the A. S. Cline translation

Sacra Publica
Varies: Compitalia
9th: Agonalia
11th: Carmentalia
15th: Carmentalia
24~26th: Sementivae / Paganalia

Two-headed Janus, source of the silently gliding year,
The only god who is able to see behind him,
Be favourable to the leaders, whose labours win
Peace for the fertile earth, peace for the seas:
Be favourable to the senate and Roman people,
And with a nod unbar the shining temples.
A prosperous day dawns: favour our thoughts and speech!
Let auspicious words be said on this auspicious day.
Let our ears be free of lawsuits then, and banish
Mad disputes now: you, malicious tongues, cease wagging!
See how the air shines with fragrant fire,
And Cilician grains crackle on lit hearths!
The flame beats brightly on the temple’s gold,
And spreads a flickering light on the shrine’s roof.
Spotless garments make their way to Tarpeian Heights,
And the crowd wear the colours of the festival:
Now the new rods and axes lead, new purple glows,
And the distinctive ivory chair feels fresh weight.

Getting ready for New Years Day

Traditions for the New Year.

Near the beginning of his poem "Fasti", Ovid has a kind of question and answer session with Janus about the meaning of certain new year traditions. We can use this to help us prepare for a Roman New Year.

Q: Why aren't the courts closed on New Years Day?
A: We make a token start of all business on the first day to make a good omen that we will be engaged all year.

Take our "Future Directions" survey

The survey is closed. Thanks to all who answered!

Saturnalia!

On this best of days, greetings to all cultores!

Enjoy this Saturnalia ritual by cultores deorum Romanorum in Russia, performed in Latin and Russian.

The videos were posted by Tiberius Claudius Drusus of Estonia.

Our Community

I sent this little statement around recently. I think of it as defining a point on the map of all religions. What I wanted to know is how many of us are near to that point. I do not mean that that point is the center of anything - just reasonably close to a lot of people. Here is is:

The gods exist and are essentially benevolent. A natural relationship unites people with the gods. Human relationship with the gods requires human action. The gods can communicate their will. We promote "religio" and "pietas" and we abhor "superstitio".

"Religio" is the attitude that the gods are the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world, and that the prescribed rituals are the proper return for the help that is provided by the gods.

"Pietas" is sincere diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the partnership with the gods and in honoring all obligations.

"Superstitio" is the belief that the gods are vengeful or jealous, and any excessive and slavish behavior that is intended to placate them, and the desire to extract knowledge or power from the relationship with them.

Here are some comments that came back:

• "It's short, sweet and to the point. I like it."
• "I dislike hard definitions, it absolutely smacks of Christianity."
• "I think this description is concise and covers the important core concepts without closing various people out."
• "I agree with your statements. I would, of course, capitalize "Gods" and include "Goddesses". I would expand on the first paragraph, but then I am usually wordy. Under the part on superstitio, I might replace "behavior" with "misuse of ritual""
• "Well said, I agree."
• "I find this very well written, and it can probably do as a generic introduction. I can't think of anything to add at this point."
• "I agree with every point but the last. Gods can be cruel if they feel to be."
• "Seems reasonable enough. I might suggest a few alterations..."

So the "ayes" have it. It is safe to say that "the majority of cultores deorum Romanorum tend to agree with this statement". Based on feedback, I have tweaked the form somewhat, but the meaning is still the same:

The gods exist and are essentially benevolent. A natural relationship unites people with the gods. Human relationship with the gods requires human action. The gods can communicate their will. We promote "religio" and "pietas" and we avoid "superstitio".

"Religio" is the attitude that the gods are the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world, and that the prescribed rituals are the proper return for the help that is provided by the gods.

"Pietas" is sincere diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the partnership with the gods and in honoring all obligations. In contrast, "Superstitio" is any excessive and slavish behavior that is intended to placate the anger of the gods, or the desire to extract knowledge or power from the gods.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this survey. I hope that this description will help us to build our communities.

Invoke and Evoke

I had a nice exchange recently about these two words, "invoke" and "evoke", and how they differ. I thought I should look around and see what other people think and how they might be used differently and I found this page (an About.com page on Paganism/Wicca). It makes this distinction: "To evoke a deity or being is to call upon it and ask it to join you during ritual or a working. ... Invoking, on the other hand, is a form of voluntary possession." This is very different from the way that we cultores use these words.

To invoke, from Latin invocare, is "to call upon" or "to call for help". The noun is invocatio, "a calling upon". Cicero used invocare in relation to both gods and human help.

In contrast, to evoke, from Latin evocare, is "to call out". It is used to describe summoning the spirits of the dead (aliquem ab infernis evocare) or calling forth a god "from a besieged city by promising a temple at Rome". It was also used to summon soldiers for service or to call someone out to fight.

Since the general attitude of cultores is that the gods are "...the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world..." (Scheid p. 173) and therefore present at all times, there is no need to "evoke" them, except in the special circumstances mentioned above. They are already here, alongside us. We praise them directly, we offer them the respect that they are due because of their nature. When we need help, we ask for it. We invoke them, because they are already here.

In case it needs saying, I mean no disrespect to our Wiccan brothers and sisters, and I hope that they will continue to act as they see fit. I don't mean to say that they are wrong. It is just that we have different traditions.

[Latin definitions are from Cassell's Latin dictionary.]

Daily Roman Calendar by Email

In the traditional Roman calendar, some days were lucky and some days were unlucky. Some days were dedicated to certain gods, and there were the major annual festivals to keep track of. Add to this the unusual (to our minds today) calendar system, and there is ample room for confusion. The busy modern cultor can use some help.

The Yahoo group "fasti" has just one purpose: to deliver a daily Roman calendar (with major festivals and the character of each day indicated) to the mailboxes of subscribers. A great part of the utility of the daily messages is contained in the message header alone. There you will see the date in two formats, ancient (Latin) and modern (English). You will be told if a day is unlucky ("ater") and other information that is probably only of interest to those who are active in a sacer publica that is timed too match that of Roma Antiqua. There are notifications and descriptions of the major public holidays. Since these arrive just a day before the holiday, they are not very useful for planning, but all in all the fasti mailing list is a nice way to get in the rhythm of the Roman calendar and to get some daily exposure to Roman dates.

Message frequency:

• 1 ordinary calendar post per day, arriving about 24 hours before the start of day.
• no more than one "administrivia" post per month.
• occasional special information posts.

To subscribe, send any mail (even empty) to "fasti-subscribe@yahoogroups.com".
To unsubscribe, send any mail (even empty) to "fasti-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com".

Cicero—The Duties of Government Officials (Harper's Magazine)

Harper's Magazine recently carried a book notice which demonstrates the relevance of Cicero's "De Officiis" ("On Duties") to the 21st century. The pressures facing those in office, and the temptations, were well known to Cicero. In the third part of his book, Cicero challenges us to think outside the box. If we seem to be faced with a choice between doing what is "right" or doing what gives us "advantage", the basic problem is that we misunderstand the situation, says Cicero. He forces us to look more carefully, because, he says, doing the right thing is always the more advantageous choice, and he explains why.

"Cambridge University Press has just published Steve Sheppard’s new book I Do Solemnly Swear, an inquiry into the moral obligations of legal officials. Like Sir Edward Coke before him, Sheppard has taken a series of quotations from De Officiis as the epigram for each chapter, which in a sense is an extended meditation on Cicero’s text and an ample demonstration of its modernity. The work is a wonderful discussion of material that is, to our lasting harm, long underappreciated." Cicero—The Duties of Government Officials (Harper's Magazine)

Bill Thayer's site, Lacus Curtius, has the entire 1913 Loeb text of "De Officiis" (in English) online.

Book Review: Introduction to Roman Religion

John Scheid, An Introduction to Roman Religion. Indiana University Press, 2003.

The work is divided into neatly arranged sections as follows: 1) The scholarly "baggage" that has conditioned the study of Roman religion. 2) Definition and concepts. 3) Rituals. 4) Sacred Time. 5) Sacred Space. 6) Sacrifices. 7) Auspices and Divination. 8)Priests. 9) Gods. 10) The historical interpretation of Roman Religion according to political, philosophical and mystical models.

This is a highly organized, clearly written text that manages to effectively convey its points. Those with no prior exposure to the serious study of Roman religion will have no problem following the author's thematic divisions of the subjects. There are sufficient charts, diagrams, illustrations, bullet points, and excerpts from other works to aid in the clarity of data. The book also contains a chronology of events, a glossary of terms, a listing of important people and a bibliography for more specialized study. In short, it's a triumph of elucidation.

The other triumph of the book is achieved in Scheid's introductory chapter. He attempts to counter some of the approaches to the study of Roman Religion that have held the subject hostage to biased and erroneous assumptions. If we are to study Roman Religion, we have to see it as it really is. Not through the hostile eyes of Christian contemporaries. Not as a carbon copy of Greek, Etruscan, or Indo-European religion. Certainly not through the now defunct "numina" theory. With scholars like Scheid, we can now finally begin to understand the Romans and their religions as what they really were, not what other people would want them to be.

Now for the negatives. Some of Scheid's conclusions are questionable, I would daresay. In one area, he denies the importance of the private cult of Vesta, heretofore seen as one of the linchpins of Roman religion. In another area he denies the impact of the Oriental cults on the development of Christianity. Scheid does offer something in the way of evidence for his assertions, but on the whole I'm far from convinced. Scheid may actually be going too far in his attempts to correct previous assumptions about Roman religion. Some of these assertions are practically revolutionary, and I feel revolutions need a better grounding than what I saw illustrated here.

My other complaint is that I felt some of the parts were lacking. I understand this is an "introductory" text, but I felt there was still room to cover some topics in greater detail. For instance, the chapter on the gods I felt was pretty slim. The author no doubt assumes we are familiar with Roman gods via widespread knowledge of Greek mythology. The problem with that is twofold. Fist, these days most people's exposure to Greek mythology and religion is superficial at best. Second, the Roman gods are oft viewed rather differently than their alleged Greek counterparts, and their cults evolved considerably over the course of the centuries. Delving into greater exposition would impress upon the reader the uniqueness of Roman polytheism, without seriously detracting from the brevity of an introductory text.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but not unequivocally. I would recommend reading it in conjunction with another major scholar such as Robert Turcan. The serious study of Roman religion has just begun, and while Scheid certainly deserves his place in the epic, he is far from being the last word.

Originally posted at http://www.templumdeorum.org/ Thursday, 13 August 2009 15:02 Ursus

December calendar

The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).

Sacra Publica
17th to 23rd: Saturnalia
25th: Sol Invictus
Varies: Compitalia

Bona Dea: Rites to Bona Dea were conducted on a variable date near the beginning of December by the wife of the senior magistrate present in Rome, assisted by the Vestal Virgins. They were conducted in the magistrate's home, not at Bona Dea's temple. Participation was by invitation only and men were strictly excluded.

Saturnalia: "The best of days" according to the poet Catullus begins on the 17th and continues to the 23rd. Saturnalia is the festival honoring Saturnus, who introduced agriculture and the arts of civilized life. It was the season when agricultural work was completed; a sort of joyous Thanksgiving-type holiday of relaxation and merriment. During Saturnalia, businesses, courts and schools were closed. Learn more from the Saturnalia post.


Sol Invictus: 25th. Did a festival in honor of the sun form the basis of Christmas celebrations? Pope Leo I said there was no connection, but the New Catholic Encyclopedia says there is. It is clearly a vexed question and not a concern of ours. We do know that Sol had several temples in early Rome, so it is fitting that we honor Sol at some time. While it is true that other gods also were sometimes called "Invictus" (Undefeated), that does not prevent us from making the association of the Undefeated Sun with the beginning of the northward return of the sun, clearly visible on the 25th, several days after the winter solstice. Romans decorated living trees outdoors, and so can we, topping our trees with a sun, a symbol of our gratitude for his warmth.

Compitalia: The Compitalia is a feria conceptiva, a festival whose day was set annually by the magistrates or priests. The Compitalia was always in the winter, from a few days after the Saturnalia (Dionysus) to early January (the 2nd, says Cicero in a letter).

TODAY

Get ready for Saturnalia and support this site by purchasing from our shops:

• Saturnalia cards and buttons from our Saturnalia shop.
• Roman cookbooks from our bookshop.

All proceeds go to supporting the Cultus Deoorum.

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Saturnalia Events Worldwide

12th December: Aquincum Museum, Budapest, Hungary. More information.

16th December: Roman Saturnalia Parade, Chester, Cheshire, UK. 16 December. More Information.

18th December: Temple Of Venus Genetrix, Nashville TN, USA. Saturnalia Festival and Opalia. $20.00 per person. More information.



See the Meetup Everywhere map for more events!

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Gift suggestions

Get ready for Saturnalia!

(This entry is from our calendar, but Saturnalia is so popular, and the season is so busy, that it seems best to post this now, so there will be enough time to prepare.)

Saturnalia, "the best of days" according to the poet Catullus, begins on the 17th and continues to the 23rd. Saturnalia is the festival honoring Saturnus, who introduced agriculture and the arts of civilized life. It was the season when agricultural work was completed; a sort of joyous Thanksgiving-type holiday of relaxation and merriment. During Saturnalia, businesses, courts and schools were closed.

Albius Tibulus, the elegaic poet wrote of the time when Saturn reigned and all people lived a happy pastoral life (Tibulus I.3):

How fine was human life in Saturn’s reign, before the earth was opened up to far campaigns!

No mast had then yet dared to tempt the azure waves nor spread its billowing canvas to the winds;

no trader, wandering alien lands in search of gain, had yet weighed down his ship with foreign wares.

No burly oxen then submitted to the yoke; no broken horses tamely champed the bit.

No house had doors, no stones were fixed among the fields to mark off acreage in rigid bounds.

The oaks themselves dripped honey, and of themselves the ewes brought swollen udders to the carefree folk.

There were no battle-lines, no wrath, no wars, nor had the harsh smith’s ruthless cunning forged the blade.

Saturnalia was a time for gift-giving. The 13th and 14th books of Martial's Epigrams (titled Xenia and Apophoreta, respectively) and published on Saturnalia in 84 or 85 CE, give us the best information about the wide range of possible gifts; they are clever tags, describing the gifts in oblique ways. Most in Xenia are foods; smoked cheese, radishes, raisins, a jar of plums. The gifts in Apophoreta are more varied, ranging from dice, a stylus case and a toothpick to a dinner couch, Arretine vases and dishes inlaid with gold.

Saturnalia was a time when normal rules were broken. The formal toga was not worn, but the informal synthesis was worn instead. (Wear your most comfortable and colorful tunic.) The conical felt "freedman's cap" was worn as well. Slaves were allowed to gamble, and within bounds were allowed freedom when speaking to their masters. Slaves ate first and the masters later.

Saturnalia Today

"For how many years shall this festival abide! Never shall age destroy so holy a day! While the hills of Latium remain and father Tiber, while thy Rome stands and the Capitol thou hast restored to the world, it shall continue" (Statius, Silvae, I.6.98ff)

Saturnalia falls at the time when non-Romans are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice and/or Kwanzaa. Individuals may choose different approaches to the challenge of celebrating in the spirit of Rome without cutting themselves off from the culture in which they live. Here are some ideas:

• Wear the colors of the holiday, green and gold.
• Decorate over doorways, windows and even stairs with greenery. Garlands or wreaths are ideal. Add golden cutouts of the sun or golden pine-cones, nuts, acorns.
• If you have living trees on your own property, hang them with sun symbols, stars, and faces of the God Janus (who watches over the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one). In Roman times, trees were not brought indoors but were decorated where they grew. It is also possible to decorate living plants in pots.
• Make cookies in the shapes of fertility symbols, suns and moons and stars, and herd animal shapes. You can make your own cookie cutters if you're keen! Use green and/or gold food colors or sprinkles.
• If you are of legal drinking age where you live, make some mulsum, a drink of wine and honey.
• Greet people with the traditional cry of "Io, Saturnalia!" This is pronounced "eeyo sa-tur-NAL-ee-uh".
• Invite your friends for a feast and a party on December 17th. Saturnalia is a joyous holiday and Romans shared it with friends and family.
• Give small presents, including presents of food or sweets, or candles or lamps. Attach a clever note or a short witty poem to your gifts. Read the Roman poet Martial ("Xenia" and "Apophoreta") for some authentic examples from Roman times.
• Clean your lararium. Safely light a candle there. Display and decorate a statue of Saturnus, if you have one, or a photo of a statue or painting of him.
• Togas were not worn for Saturnalia, but tunics were. Tunic instructions are here, and also see elsewhere on this page for links to more Roman WikiHow articles.

Check the Meetup Everywhere map to find a Saturnalia event near you, or to create your own.

SATURNALIA!

at CafePress

USA | UK | Canada | Australia

Get ready for Saturnalia and support this site by purchasing from our shops:

• Saturnalia cards and buttons from our Saturnalia shop.
• Roman cookbooks from our bookshop.

All proceeds go to supporting the Cultus Deorum.





Gift suggestions

Google Translate - Latin is in alpha

Google Translate has rolled out Latin translation, which is still in the alpha stage. This is good news for all cultores because going back to the primary sources in the original Latin is a very good and rewarding thing. Anything that helps Latin to be more accessible is a good thing in our eyes, and we expect that Google Translate will be useful not only for quick translations but also as an aide to studying the Latin language.

Meetup Everywhere

To help cultores find each other, and to promote active participation in local community activities, a "Meetup Everywhere" site has been created here.

"Meetup Everywhere" is different from normal "Meetup" groups in not being associated with any particular place. "Meetup Everywhere" is worldwide in scope, and anyone can initiate a meeting. We hope that this will be a useful tool for our community.

NEW: Follow Meetup Everywhere activity on Twitter at @cultusdeorum. Meetup tag for Twitter, Flickr and YouTube: #CDRMup.

Survey of recent developments

M. Moravius Piscinus, Pontifex Maximus of Nova Roma, surveys developments over the last few years and talks about the future of the cultus deorum. This blog is independent of Nova Roma, and it is focused on the sacra privata, whereas Nova Roma has as its main focus the sacra publica. Still, M. Moravius has been a leading figure in the cultus deorum for quite some time, so it is worth reading what he has to say. This is an excerpt:

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Ad Futura: The Ancient Religion of Rome in Modern Life

Conventus Dacia MMDCCLXI, Baiae Herculane, Romania, August 24, 2010

August 2008 was the first occasion when two Consuls of Nova Roma from different continents, one from North America and one from Europe, met one another while in office. It was also the first year when Pontifices from different countries held a conference and celebrated rituals together. This event came after the Consuls and Pontifices M. Horatius and T. Sabinus had for the first time in Nova Roma's history invited other organizations of the Religio Romana in joint religious celebrations.

But not all celebrations that year were happy occasions.

In May 2008 Nova Roma saw its first member to die while involved in a war. C. Popillius Strabo died in Iraq while serving in the U.S. Army. He received a military funeral in his hometown. At the request of his widow, his funeral recognized him as a cultor Deorum Romani and member of Nova Roma. Pont. Max. Horatius conducted additional ceremonies, inviting the genius of C. Popillius to return to his home, and called upon the sacred Lares to guide him on to the Blessed Isles.

Eastern Europe has become an exciting region for the Religio Romana....

Read the entire article here.

Milestone in Sarmatia

This group in Sarmatia has reason to be proud. Their hard work has raised the foundations for the aedes of Jupiter Perunus above ground.

We are happy to announce that it is now possible to support this important work through PayPal.

Your Dollars, Euros, Yen or Pounds go a long way in Sarmatia. This is not only because of a favorable exchange rate, but also because the cultores there who are building the temple to Jupiter are volunteering their time, skills and labor.

Sellisternium to Bona Dea

M. Hortensia Maior Bonae Deae votum solvit libens merito.

(Marca Hortensia Maior gladly fulfilled a vow to the goddess Bona Dea to her merit.)

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A sellisternium was offered to Bona Dea in Hungary in fulfillment of a vow. It is pietas to fulfill a vow. M. Hortensia Maior offers this report:

We had a wondeful sellisternium, the table was spread with a golden cloth, autumn flowers in various vases, Bona Dea's photo was mounted and set on a chair at her place. Livia Plauta made a Roman meal and it was delicious, we were also joined by her friend Lucretia Capillata. We praised Bona Dea, the goddess of women and homes and asked for favours. I encourage everyone to make a dinner, a sellisternium or lectisternium for the gods. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just set out a place and give the goddess or god the first and choice portions. May Bona Dea favour me, Livia and Lucretia for praising her name!! Bona Dea nobis fave!!

Ab ovo ...

... ad malum.

November Calendar

The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).

The major event this month is the Ludi Plebeii, the Plebeian Games. Legend places the Ludi in the early history of Rome, but the earliest mention is of the games in 216 BCE. (Livy 23.30). The last games on record were held in 354 CE (Calendar of Philocalus). By 207 BCE, the Ludi were celebrated over several days, from 4-17 November (Fasti Maffeiani). They began with a great pompa, or procession, led by statues of the Capitoline Triad, proceeding to the Circus, where gods and men joined to watch the races. Nine days of theatrical performances and four days of racing in the Circus lead up to the central focus of the Ludi, the Epulum Iovis, or feast of Jupiter, on the Ides. The Senators ate at public expense on the Capitoline, while the Roman public dined in the Forum.

Ideas for celebrating the Plebeian games:

• Cook Roman food and have a Roman dinner. Set a place for Jupiter. (Epulum Iovis)
• Organize, participate in or attend sporting events. Dedicate your participation to Jupiter.
• Organize, participate in or attend theatrical events. Dedicate your participation to Jupiter.

Remember that the Roman religion is based on the community and the family. Make these into events for your family, friends or neighbors. The season of the Plebeian Games is also a good time to make some Roman clothes. Have a tunic-making party and you'll be ready for Saturnalia next month! Tunic instructions are here, and also see the bottom of this page for links to more Roman WikiHow articles.

Get ready for Saturnalia and support this site by purchasing from our shops:

• Saturnalia cards and buttons from our Saturnalia shop.
• Roman cookbooks from our bookshop.

All proceeds from these shops go to supporting the Cultus Deorum.

Welcome - Site update

Looking at the server logs I am happy to say that we have recently had visitors from as far north as Sweden and Canada and as far south as Argentina and Australia. In fact, we have had visitors from every continent!

This site has two parts: the calendar and news items in the blog itself, plus the introduction pages in the links across the top of the site. It has been very gratifying recently to have so much news to post, and from so many different places. On the other hand, work on the short introductions is moving ahead slowly. I add material as I have time, but I also welcome contributors. If you think you would be able to help with the writing, contact me at "editor AT cultusdeorumromanorum DOT org".

Even if you don't contribute, you can follow us. Check the links at the bottom of every page.

Finally, the Cultus Deorum Romanorum SATURNALIA shop is up with cards and buttons for your festive pleasure. Proceeds go to support this site. Links are at the bottom of the page.

Optime valete in cura deorum Romanorum!

Progress report: Temple of Jupiter

We recently reported here (Sarmatian Days) that a templum (sacred space) has been established in Sarmatia (Ukraine) for building an aedes (temple building) to Jupiter. Work is moving ahead rapidly. Here we see M. Octavius Corvus and another cultor at work on the building's foundation, which follows the line of the templum that was created earlier by augur publicus M. Lucretius Agricola and pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus.

The building of this temple is in fulfillment of a votum sworn by T. Iunius Brutus, Ap. Furius Lupus and M. Octavius Corvus and it is assisted by the entire community of Romans in Municipium Poltava. More photos are here.

"II Conventus Novae Romae North America" success

C. Petronius Dexter et
M. Moravius Piscinus

Early reports indicate that the "II Conventus Novae Romae North America", held over October 8th – 11th 2010 in Brunson So. Carolina was well attended and a big success.


This post will be updated with reports of more cultus events shortly. A collection of photos is here and the official blog is here.

On the 4th day, M. Aquillius Rota took the toga virilis in an inspiring and moving ritual. Flamen Portunalis C. Petronius Dexter led the rite in Latin. Congratulations to M. Aquillius for completing this rite of passage, marking his entry into manhood.

M. Aquillius Rota (L). Magistra et Senator Novae Romae A. Tullia Scholastica (R) assisting Sacerdos et Flamen Portunalis, Tribunus Novae Romae Petronius Dexter (Center). Not visible Sacerdos Prima A.AE et Sacerdos Veneris Genetricis, Curulis Aedilis Novae Romae L. Iulia Aquila, who said the ritual in English assisted by Sacerdos Vestalis, Questor Novae Romae C. Maria Caeca.

Lares statues on sale at Sacred Source

Lares statues (8", about 20 cm tall, made of clay) from Sacred Source are now marked down significantly. See them here.

Roman Ritual in Budapest

Cn. Cornelius Lentulus and C. Cocceius Spinula perform ritual in the ruins of Aquincum (Budapest) and demonstrate correct form.

Both are capite velato (heads covered). With their right hands they each hold a patera over the focus of the altar. The free hand is open and palm upwards, directed to the heavens; a gesture appropriate for celestial deities.

Note also that they have correctly placed a piece of turf on the altar itself, and the fire is on the turf.

October Calendar

The first day of each month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 7th. The Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 15th. The 2nd, 8th and 16th are unlucky (ater).

Sacra Publica
11th Meditrinalia
13th Fontinalia
15th Equus October
19th Armilustrium

Two important cycles are observed in October. The agricultural cycle is represented by the Meditrinalia (sampling the new wine) and the Fontinalia (controlling natural water courses and springs). The end of the military season is marked by the Equus October and Armilustrium.

Fontinalia

Jay Walljasper put it very well, writing in the Utne Reader in 2001:

"Of all the mysteries of life on earth, none is more wondrous than water. An alchemical creation out of two common elements, it fosters all plant, animal, and human existence. This fact is easily overlooked in an age when the twist of a wrist brings an unending flow of the life-giving liquid, but to our ancestors around the world water was a miracle deserving of worship. Across pagan lands, explains Anneli Rufus in the World Holiday Book, rivers, springs, and wells were revered as homes of the gods. Holy wells can still be found throughout the world today, including more than 3,000 in Ireland alone.

"At the end of the sultry summer season in ancient Rome, citizens celebrated Fontinalia, a tribute to Fontus, a water god, by decorating public fountains with garlands of flowers and throwing petals into the waters. At a time when drought and water pollution threaten millions of people and multinational corporations are hatching plans to privatize water resources in the developing world, we too should be grateful for the gift of fresh water. Celebrate Fontinalia by finding ways to reduce your use of water, by lending a hand to environmental organizations fighting to provide access to clean water for everyone on the planet, and by planning a water-worship ritual of your own—perhaps sprinkling flowers into a nearby stream or lake." Source

October 8th – 11th: "II CONVENTVS NOVAE ROMAE NORTH AMERICA", sponsored by AVSTRORIENTALIS PROVINCIA of Nova Roma. Castra Rota, 79 No. Manker Street, Brunson So. Carolina. Several reconstructed rituals are planned.

October 8th – 11th 2010 II CONVENTVS NOVAE ROMAE NORTH AMERICA

II CONVENTVS NOVAE ROMAE NORTH AMERICA

Sponsored by

AVSTRORIENTALIS PROVINCIA

October 8^th – 11^th 2010

Castra Rota

79 No. Manker Street

Brunson So. Carolina

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18 September 2010: Aedes Venus Genetrix

Twelve initiates gathered at Aedes Venus Genetrix (Temple of Venus) in Nashville Tennessee for a Lararium Workshop and Ancient Talisman Creation Workshop presented by Sacerdos Veneris Genetricis, L. Iulia Aquila. Initiates and camillae (sacerdotes in training) learned how to set up a lararium, simple evocations, basic hand gestures, basic mechanics of how to perform sacrifice (i.e pouring wine into the focus), ancestor worship and also basic talisman creation and associated ritual.

Photo: Camilla Loretta Bloodworth praying at the lararium for the first time, she learned how to make sacrifice, salute and evoke the Gods etc.

September Calendar

The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).


The major event this month is the Ludi Romani (Roman Games). Celebrate the Ludi Romani from the 5th through the 19th, avoiding the unlucky days on the 6th and 14th. The Ludi Romani themselves are held in honor of Jupiter and are centered around the Ides, which itself is always sacred to Jupiter and which this month is also the Epulum Iovis, a feast honoring Jupiter.

Traditionally, the Roman Games started with a procession from the Capitoline Temple of Jupiter to an altar in the Circus Maximus. They featured chariot races, boxing, and gladiatorial contests as well as theatrical competitions featuring Greek and Roman classics and new plays.

Ideas for celebrating the Roman games:

• Cook Roman food and have a Roman dinner. Set a place for Jupiter. (Epulum Iovis)
• Organize, participate in or attend sporting events. Dedicate your participation to Jupiter.
• Organize, participate in or attend theatrical events. Dedicate your participation to Jupiter.

Remember that the Roman religion is based on the community and the family. Make these into events for your family, friends or neighbors. The season of the Roman Games is also a good time to make some Roman clothes. Have a tunic-making party and you'll be ready for Saturnalia later in the year! Tunic instructions are here, and also see the bottom of this page for links to more Roman WikiHow articles.

Sarmatian Days

Pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus

Sarmatian Days (Poltava, Ukraine) was a huge success this year. We had three couples wed in a Roman ceremony. Two days later, three Sarmatians made a votum, an augur publicus was consecrated by Pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus and then a templum was established for the building of a temple to Jupiter.

One of the most striking and memorable features was the strength and clarity of the positive signs that were given when auspices were requested. There was ample opportunity for negative signs, but only positive ones were seen. For example, when auspices were requested for establishment of the templum, and when silencium was achieved, a bird flew out of the left and directly into the space designated as the templum. The positive signs for the weddings included a double rainbow that appeared after a sudden shower, the first rain to fall there for six weeks.

Sarmatia Provincia (Russian)

August Calendar

August is the Roman month of Sextilis. The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 5th and the Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 13th. The 2nd, 6th and 14th are unlucky (ater).

Sacra Publica
17th: Portunalia
19th: Vinalia Rustica
21st: Consualia
23rd: Volcanalia
25th: Opiconsivia
27th: Volturnalia

The second half of the month has a string of feriae (festivals) of the sacra publica. Scheid (An Introduction to Roman Religion) observes that these are all very ancient festivals and they all have a connection with the harvest. The Portunalia, "entering plots of land (in wagons?)", the Vinalia, "beginning the grape harvest", the Consualia, "storing the harvests", the Volcanalia, "fire prevention (in the storage chambers)", the Opiconsiva, "organizing cereal reserves", the Volturnalia, "transporting produce along the Tiber (?)".

La deuxième moitié du mois a une chaîne de feriae de la sacra publica. Scheid (Introduction à la religion romaine) observe que ce sont toutes les fêtes très anciennes et elles ont toutes un lien avec la récolte. Le Portunalia, «entrer dans les parcelles de terre (dans des wagons?)», Le Vinalia, «début des vendanges», le Consualia, «le stockage des récoltes», le Volcanalia, «la prévention des incendies (dans les chambres de stockage)», le Opiconsiva, «les "réserves de céréales organisation», le Volturnalia, «le transport des produits le long du Tibre (?)».

La seconda metà del mese è una stringa di feriae, dei sacra publica. Scheid (Introduzione alla religione romana) osserva che queste sono tutte feste molto antiche e tutte hanno una connessione con il raccolto. I Portunalia (entrare nei terreni (in carri?)), I Vinalia (a cominciare la vendemmia), i Consualia (la conservazione dei raccolti), i Volcanalia (prevenzione, incendi (nelle camere di stoccaggio)), gli Opiconsiva (l'organizzazione si riserva di cereali), i Volturnalia (trasporto dei prodotti lungo il Tevere (?)).

Ovid (Fasti IV.897ff) wrote:

"Autumn came, dyed with the trodden grapes: The wine, justly owed to Jupiter, was paid. So the day is called the Vinalia: Jupiter claims it, And loves to be present at his feast."

There is an association in April of Venus with the Vinalia Urbana. If there is also an association of Venus with the Vinalia Rustica, it may be to give thanks for her generative powers, since with the harvest her work is complete. These are some ideas for modern cultores deorum for activities that can be integrated with festivals:

• Harvesting fruits or grains (Portunalia)
• Cleaning the garden and garden shed (Portunalia)
• Making wine (Vinalia)
• Preserving fruits, vegetables or other crops (Consualia)
• Participating in a farmer's market (Volturnalia)
• Fire prevention; cleaning dry brush, inspecting fire alarms and extinguishers (Volcanus)

Remember: try to make this a family or community event!

World Congress of Ethnic Religions

The 13th World Congress of Ethnic Religions will meet in Bologna (Italia) from the 26th to the 29th of August. The theme this year is "Ethics in the Contemporary World".

This looks to be a great event for all followers of the Cultus Deorum Romanorum. The first good sign is the quote from Marcus Aurelius on the front page. But far better than that is the schedule. The first day opens with a ceremony in honor of Janus and then comes a Roman Ides ritual to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.

There is a trip to Roma scheduled for the second day and the closing ceremony on the last day is a Ritual dedicated to Janus Clusius and to Vesta.

This is obviously very good news for all followers of the Gods of Rome.

Visit the WCER 2010 website at http://www.wcer2010.it/.

July Calendar

July is the Roman month of Quintilis. The first day of the month is the Kalends, sacred to Juno. The Nones falls on the 7th. The Ides, sacred to Jupiter, falls on the 15th.

The 2nd (Friday), 8th (Thursday) and 16th (Friday) are unlucky (ater).

Lucaria: 19th and 21st. Celebrate nature and wooded places. (Latin "lucus" = grove.)

Neptunalia: 23rd. Celebrate water.