[1189]. Seneca, Ep. 18. 1. Martial is full of Saturnalian allusions; e. g. 12. 62.
[1190]. Popularized, of course, by the poets: Virg. Georg. ii. 538; Tibull. i. 3. 35; &c.
[1191]. Was this one of the reasons why Christmas was fixed at the winter solstice? Cp. John Chrysostom, tom. iii. 497e: quoted by Usener, op. cit. p. 217.
[1192]. Varro, R. R. 1. 35. 2 ‘Dum in xv diebus ante et post brumam ut pleraque ne facias.’ Columella, 2. 8. 2, seems to follow Varro. Virg. Georg. 1. 211 extends the time ‘usque sub extremum brumae intractabilis imbrem’ (cp. Serv. ad loc.).
[1193]. Sat. i. 10. 19 and 22, and Dion. Hal. 3. 32; Plut. Q. R. 34.
[1194]. See Marquardt’s excellent summary in Staatsverwaltung, iii. 357, and Preller, ii. 15 foll.
[1195]. Dion. Hal. 6. 1. Fasti Amit. Dec. 17. We do not know who was the sacrificing priest; perhaps the Rex Sacrorum, or a magistrate.
[1196]. Macrob. 1. 10. 18.
[1197]. Martial, 14. 1; at least this seems to be the inference from ‘Synthesibus dum gaudet eques dominusque senator.’ Cp 6. 24.
[1198]. Livy, 22. 1. 19 ‘lectisternium imperatum et convivium publicum.’