The Roman ceremonial worship was very elaborate and minute, applying to every part of daily life. It consisted in sacrifices, prayers, festivals, and the investigation by augurs and haruspices of the will of the gods and the course of future events. The Romans accounted themselves an exceedingly religious people, because their religion was so intimately connected with the affairs of home and state.
The Romans distinguished carefully between things sacred and profane. This word "profane" comes from the root "fari," to speak; because the gods were supposed to speak to men by symbolic events. A fane is a place thus consecrated by some divine event; a profane place, one not consecrated.[286] But that which man dedicates to the gods (dedicat or dicat) is sacred, or consecrated.[287] Every place which was to be dedicated was first "liberated" by the augur from common uses; then "consecrated" to divine uses by the pontiff. A "temple" is a place thus separated, or cut off from other places; for the root of this word, like that of "tempus" (time) is the same as the Greek τέμνω, to cut.
The Roman year was full of festivals (feriæ) set apart for religious uses. It was declared by the pontiffs a sin to do any common work on these days, but works of necessity were allowed. These festivals were for particular gods, in honor of great events in the history of Rome, or of rural occurrences, days of purification and atonement, family feasts, or feasts in honor of the dead. The old Roman calendar[288] was as carefully arranged as that of modern Rome. The day began at midnight. The following is a view of the Roman year in its relation to festivals:—
January.
- 1. Feast of Janus, the god of beginnings.
- 9. Agonalia.
- 11. Carmentalia. In honor of the nymph Carmenta, a woman's festival.
- 16. Dedication of the Temple of Concord.
- 31. Feast of the Penates.
February.
- 1. Feast of Juno Sospita, the Savior: an old goddess.
- 13. Faunalia, dedicated to Faunus and the rural gods.
- 15. Lupercalia. Feast of fruitfulness.
- 17. Fornacalia. Feast of the oven goddess Fornax.
- 18 to 28. The Februatio, or feast of purification and atonement, and the Feralia, or feast of the dead. Februus was an old Etrurian god of the under-world. Also, the Charistia, a family festival for putting an end to quarrels among relations.
- 23. Feast of Terminus, god of boundaries. Boundary-stones anointed and crowned.
March.
- 1. Feast of Mars. Also, the Matronalia. The Salii, priests of Mars, go their rounds, singing old hymns.
- 6. Feast of Vesta.
- 7. Feast of Vejovis or Vedius, i.e. the boy Jupiter.
- 14. Equiria, or horse-races in honor of Mars.
- 15. Feast of Anna-Perenna, goddess of health.
- 17. Liberalia, Feast of Bacchus. Young men invested with the Toga-Virilis on this day.
- 19 to 23. Feast of Minerva, for five days. Offerings made to her by all mechanics, artists, and scholars.
April.
- 1. Feast of Venus, to whom the month is sacred.
- 4. Megalesia. Feast of Cybele and Altys. It lasted six days, and was the Roman analogue of the feast of Ceres in Greece and of Isis in Egypt.
- 12. Cerealia. Feast of Ceres. Games in the circus.
- 15. Fordicicia. Feast of cows.
- 21. Palililia. Feast of Pales, and of the founding of Rome.
- 23. Vinalia. Feast of new wine.
- 25. Robigalia. Feast of the goddess of blight, Robigo.
- 28. Floralia. Feast of the goddess Flora; very licentious.
May.
- 1. Feast of the Bona Dea, the good goddess; otherwise Maia, Ops, Tellus, or the Earth. This was the feast held by women secretly in the house of the pontiff.
- 9. Lemuralia. Feast of the departed spirits or ghosts.
- 12. Games to Mars.
- 23. Tubilustria, to consecrate wind instruments.
June.
- 1. Feast of Carna, goddess of the internal organs of the body, and of Juno Moneta.
- 4. Feast of Bellona.
- 5. Feast of Deus Fidius.
- 7 to 15. Feast of Vesta.
- 19. Matralia. Feast of Mater Matuta.
Other lesser festivals in this month to Summanus, Fortuna, Fortis, Jupiter Stator, etc.
July.
- 1. Day devoted to changing residences, like the 1st of May in New York. 4. Fortuna Muliebris.
- 5. Populifuga. In memory of the people's flight, on some occasion, afterward forgotten.
- 7. Feast of Juno Caprotina.
- 15. Feast of Castor and Pollux.
Other festivals in this month were the Lucaria, Neptunalia, and Furinalia.
August.
- 1. Games to Mars.
- 17. Feast of the god Portumnus.
- 18. Consualia, feast of Consus. Rape of the Sabines.
- 23. Vulcanalia, to avert fires.
- 25. Opeconsivia. Feast of Ops Consiva.
September.
The chief feasts in this month were the games (Ludi Magni or Romani) in honor of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
October.
- 13. Fontinalia. Feast of fountains, when the springs were strewed with flowers.
- 15. Sacrifice of a horse to Mars.
The feasts in November are unimportant.
December.
- 5. Faunalia, in honor of Faunus.
- 19. Saturnalia, sacred to Saturn. A Roman thanksgiving for the harvest. It lasted seven days, during which the slaves had their liberty, in memory of the age of Saturn, when all were equal. The rich kept open table to all comers, and themselves waited on the slaves. Presents were interchanged, schools were closed. The Senate did not sit.
- 1. Feast of Janus, the god of beginnings.
- 9. Agonalia.
- 11. Carmentalia. In honor of the nymph Carmenta, a woman's festival.
- 16. Dedication of the Temple of Concord.
- 31. Feast of the Penates.
- 1. Feast of Juno Sospita, the Savior: an old goddess.
- 13. Faunalia, dedicated to Faunus and the rural gods.
- 15. Lupercalia. Feast of fruitfulness.
- 17. Fornacalia. Feast of the oven goddess Fornax.
- 18 to 28. The Februatio, or feast of purification and atonement, and the Feralia, or feast of the dead. Februus was an old Etrurian god of the under-world. Also, the Charistia, a family festival for putting an end to quarrels among relations.
- 23. Feast of Terminus, god of boundaries. Boundary-stones anointed and crowned.
- 1. Feast of Mars. Also, the Matronalia. The Salii, priests of Mars, go their rounds, singing old hymns.
- 6. Feast of Vesta.
- 7. Feast of Vejovis or Vedius, i.e. the boy Jupiter.
- 14. Equiria, or horse-races in honor of Mars.
- 15. Feast of Anna-Perenna, goddess of health.
- 17. Liberalia, Feast of Bacchus. Young men invested with the Toga-Virilis on this day.
- 19 to 23. Feast of Minerva, for five days. Offerings made to her by all mechanics, artists, and scholars.
- 1. Feast of Venus, to whom the month is sacred.
- 4. Megalesia. Feast of Cybele and Altys. It lasted six days, and was the Roman analogue of the feast of Ceres in Greece and of Isis in Egypt.
- 12. Cerealia. Feast of Ceres. Games in the circus.
- 15. Fordicicia. Feast of cows.
- 21. Palililia. Feast of Pales, and of the founding of Rome.
- 23. Vinalia. Feast of new wine.
- 25. Robigalia. Feast of the goddess of blight, Robigo.
- 28. Floralia. Feast of the goddess Flora; very licentious.
- 1. Feast of the Bona Dea, the good goddess; otherwise Maia, Ops, Tellus, or the Earth. This was the feast held by women secretly in the house of the pontiff.
- 9. Lemuralia. Feast of the departed spirits or ghosts.
- 12. Games to Mars.
- 23. Tubilustria, to consecrate wind instruments.
- 1. Feast of Carna, goddess of the internal organs of the body, and of Juno Moneta.
- 4. Feast of Bellona.
- 5. Feast of Deus Fidius.
- 7 to 15. Feast of Vesta.
- 19. Matralia. Feast of Mater Matuta.