roman wedding

7/28/2019 Roman Wedding

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Roman wedding ceremony

by: M. Horatius Piscinus

So saying, she set the love-lit heart ablaze, made bold the wavering mind, and banished shame.

First they approach the shrines, and pardon seek amid the altarsAeneid IV.53-55.

Presented here is a modern ceremony offered only as a suggestion for those who wish to marry in the

tradition of the Religio Romana. Primarily the ceremony is reconstructed from the form of Roman

marriage that was known as a coemptio, to which other elements from a confarreatio have been added.(See the attending article Nuptiae.) While the modern ceremony presented here is condensed into

roughly an hour, in ancient times the various segments would have taken place over a period of three

days to a week, with a good deal of feasting and celebrating along the way. Those who wish may freelyadopted or alter any segment of this ceremony for their own marriage rites.

The reconstructed ceremony calls for a priest, here called the pater, and a brides maid, called the

pronuba, to officiate. Parents of the bride and groom may stand in as the pater and pronuba, at theirrespective "houses." Additional participants may be three or more boys called gemelli, as well as the

parents of the bride, and male guests may act as the pronubi. The bride (nova nupta) wore a traditional

costume and hairstyle (see Nuptiae), while the groom (nova maritus) would wear his toga virilis.

In this reconstructed ceremony either two houses are to be used, or two areas in one house. Two rooms,

or two ends of one large room may represent the "houses" of the bride and groom. At one end,representing the brides house, the sponsalia will take place at a simple altar. At the other end,

representing the grooms house, will take place the nuptiae with a banquet table and the grooms

lararium. An altar with a fire should be set up before the lararium. A special place will be set aside for

the bride and groom at the banquet table. This consists of two chairs over which a single lambs skin orwool blanket has been placed. An additional table should be set up to hold offerings that will be used in

the ceremony. Between the two "houses" will be a door whose hinge the bride will bless and then be

carried through over the threshold.

Required for the ceremony will be offerings of flowers, fruit, wine, and incense, and additional

offerings may be included. The nova Maritus will need at least one copper coin (nummus usus), part ofa pine branch, keys, and symbols of water and fire (a ewer of water with a basin, and a bundle of elm

twigs). A set of scales and weights are mentioned, but not required. For the nova Nupta there should be

three coins (aurei), one of these carried in a small purse, part of a juniper branch, a spindle with wooland distaff (or something to represent these). Carried in a box by one of the gemelli are toys or

childrens clothing, five candles, wool fillets, oil and an herb sprig, and a small twig of whitethorn (or

hawthorn). Mola salsa and a special bread prepared by the bride, as well as a torch (or candle) and the

brides offerings will be carried by other participants for the bride.

Pater: Favete linguis!Considite, quaeso.

Priest: "Quiet,please, and be seated."

SanctissimaMater Ceres, Iuno Nuptialis, Diique supremi, cum facibusardentibus vos testamur hac in

confarreatione.


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her husband. If tworooms are being used to represent these houses then she is ledaround the first room

in a counter-clockwise direction.) In hertrain will be other participants carrying offerings and items

sheis to use in the ceremony. The procession ends at the "frontdoor" of the grooms house. Here the

bride will make ablessing of his house.

{Nupta unguitadipe suillo (oleo) cardones ostii et spinam (crataegum) superostium suspendit, carmen

dicens.} The brideanoints the door hinges with lard (or oil) and places a branch ofwhitethorn(hawthorn) over the door. She then recites the spellof expulsion.

Nupta: Exi! Si hodiecasa, si ante casa. Si hodie creata, si ante creata. Hanc pestem,hanc pestilentiam.Hanc viduitam, hanc vastitam. Hanc siccitam,hanc calamitam, hanc intemperiem. Hac religione evoco

educoexcante de isti casam. Exi!

Bride: "Comeout! Today from this house, before this house, today created,before it was founded, this

disease, this pestilence, this want,this desolation, this drought, this misfortune, this inclemency,with

pious rite I do call out, I summon forth, I sing (all evils)away from this house. Be gone!"

The groom enters hishouse. Friends of the groom (pronubi) thenlift the bride into the grooms house,

taking care that herfeet do not touch the doorframe and that she not stumble.

{Maritus donatnuptae ignem aquamque.} The groom offersemblems of fire and water to the bride, that

she must then touchin acceptance. The bride then greets the groom.

Nova nupta:Ubitu Gaius, ego Gaia.

Bride: "As youmay be Gaius, so am I Gaia."

The bride is then seatedand the groom washes her feet with the water.

Maritus: Lar familiaris,tibi mando fortunam bonam huius tuae filiae NN, quem inmatrimonium duxi.Dii Penates, vos testor, ut audiatis. NN hancclavem domi committo, sicut commisi ei cor meum.

Groom: "LarFamiliaris, I commend to you the good fortune of this yourdaughter, NN, whom I havetaken to be my wife. Divine Penates, Icall you to be witness, I say this, O Penates, that you may hear,I

entrust NN with this key to my house as I have entrusted herwith my heart."

{Maritus donatclavem domi nuptae.} The bride rises, placingher spindle and distaff on the seat

prepared for the bride andgroom. The groom gives the keys to his house to the bride.

Pater: Sacrificate nuncdeis deabusque, ut testes sint ac vos in promissis firmitertenere.

Priest: "Makenow your offerings to the gods and goddesses, that they maywitness and hold you firm inyour vows."

{Maritus etnupta nunc alternis vicibus sacrificant Iovi et Iunoni.}The bride and groom each in turnmakes offerings beforethe gods and goddesses. They first return to the table whereofferings are located.

The bride should carry offering forJupiter while following the groom back to the altar. The groomleads

the bride three times around the altar, moving in aclockwise direction. He then approaches the altar


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with his righthand held forward at waist level, palm up. For each offering hewill turn to his bride to

receive the offering. Flowers, otherobjects, and plates of food may be placed on the altar, wineshould

be poured into a bowl that rests on the altar, and anyincense is burned. After offering to Jupiter, both

bride andgroom return again to the table. This time it is the groom whowill carry the offerings to Junoand follow the bride. Again theycircle the altar three times, led by the bride who shouldapproach the

altar in the same manner as before. If the bride andgroom have selected to invoke other deities as well,

the sameprocedure is followed for each god and/or goddess individually.

Novus maritus:SanctePater Iuppiter supreme, te his donis obmovendis bonas precesprecor, uti sies

volens propitius nobis, domo familiaeque nostraemactus his donis.

Groom: "HeavenlyFather, Jupiter supreme, in making this offering to You, I praywith good prayers that

You watch over us and our household; maythis offering honor You."

Nova nupta: Salve Mater alma,Iuno Nuptialis, te his donis obmovendis bonas preces precor utisies

volens propitia mihi, domo familiaeque meae. Macta his donis.

Bride: "Hailnurturing Mother, O Juno Nuptialis in making this offering to YouI pray with good prayers

that You look favorably upon us inmarriage and bind our wedding vows; may this offering I make bean

honor for You."

{Sacrificaveruntdis deabusque.} The bride and groom make theirsacrifices.

The bride and groomreturn to the table and place any trays or other vessels they hadused in making

their offerings. They then return to the altar tomake their vows. Additional vows may be given than are

presentedhere. The groom should hold a twig of pine, while the bridecarries a twig of juniper.

Pater: Iane, Iuppiter,Iuno atque, dii me omnes testes vos testor mihi.

Priest "Janus,Jupiter, Juno, and all the gods and goddesses, I call you to bewitnesses."

Priest [to the brideand groom]: "In good faith, before the gods, make now yourvows."

{Maritusvirgulam pini nuptae donat. In ignem eam ponit.} Thegroom hands a branch of pine to the

bride. She places the branchinto the fire and vows.

Nupta: Testor Iovem,Tellurem, et omnes deos immortales, ut testes sint. Me si fatameis paterentur

ducere vitam.

Bride: "ByJove, by Tellus, and by all the immortal gods who bear witness.To me, by my own faith, for

as long as I may live."

{Maritus ponitanulum in digitum nuptae. Nupta virgulam iuniperum marito donat.In ignem eam ponit.}

The groom places a ring onthe brides finger. She then hands the groom a branch ofjuniper that he sets

into the fire. The groom then gives his vows.

Maritus: Testor Iovem,Tellurem, et omnes deos immortales, ut testes sint. Me si fatameis paterentur

ducere vitam.


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Groom: "ByJove, by Tellus, and by all the immortal gods who bear witness.To me, by my own faith,

for as long as I shall live."

The Pronuba clasps theright hands of the bride and groom and joins them together beforethe altar. The

bride and groom may then kiss afterwards.

Pronuba: Dexters nunciungite, et sic promittens un vivere maritus et marita.

Brides Maid:"Now join hands one to the other, and seal your pledgeto live together as husband and

wife."

{Nupta signaignis aquaeque et maritus nummum in Lararium deponunt Nupta duosnummos ante Deos

Penates ponit.} The bridegives offerings to the Lares and places the tokens of fire andwater in the

lararium. The bride gives to the groom the coppercoin she carried in her hand during the domum

deductio. The groomplaces this copper coin before the Lars familiaris. Then thebride removes thecopper coin that her father had placed in herright shoe and offers this to the Penates. (A third copper

coincarried by the bride in a purse is intended to be deposited laterwith the lares compitales.)

Nupta: Lar Familiaris,Dii Penates, vobis precor, ut me accipietis in familiam vestram,conservetis signa

ignis aquaeque a marito meo NN hodie donata, etdomum nostram beetis.

Bride: "LarFamiliaris, Penates, to you I pray, that you accept me into yourfamily, safeguard these

tokens of fire and water presented to methis day by my husband, NN, and that you may bless our

household."

Pater: Considete, quaeso.

Please be seatedtogether.

{Maritus novuset nova nupta considunt apud mensam.} The groomleads the bride to the banquet tablewhere they are seated sideby side on two chairs over which a wool blanket or sheepskin hasbeen

thrown. The Pronuba will serve them drink and the spelt cake.Both bride and groom must remain

seated while they are servedwine and bread and the priest concludes the ceremony with hisblessings.

Pater: Sumete nunc etbibite vinum, ut sit symbolus mixturae sanguinis vestri.

Priest: "Takenow the wine and drink, as a symbol that your blood is now mixedas one."

The groom takes up achalice of wine, pours an offering to Jupiter into a bowl, andthen sips from the

chalice. He then hands the chalice to thebride. She likewise pours an offering to Jupiter and takes asipof wine. Each in turn say:

Maritus: Hoc macte esto. Nupta: Hoc macte esto.

Groom and bride: "Maythis honor You."


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Pater: Sumite nunc panemsanctam et edite, ut sit symbolus unionis corporum vestrorum invit.

Priest: "Takenow the sacred bread and eat, as a symbol that your bodies arenow joined together in life

as one."

The groom takes upthe bread and breaks off a piece and

offers it to the bride toeat. She then breaks off a second piece of bread and offers it tothe groom to eat.The remaining bread is placed on a platter asan offering to the gods.

Pater: Iuno, et tonitrucaelum omne ciebitur.

Priest: "Juno,by heavenly thunder all shall be moved."

Pro Diimmortales vos coniugetis in matrimoniam confarreationi. In sequiter commixta

grandinenimbus. Per deos, in fide bona, dixistis vos un in matrimoniovicturos esse, quapropter nunc in

vinculo conubiali coniunctiestis. Aut haec in foedera veni aut matrimonii et iungendum estsuperios aut

certe ad posteriora pertinet.

Priest: "By thegods immortal, are you joined together in matrimony. Togetherforever after are you

intermingled as the abundant clouds. Beforethe gods, by your oaths, since you both have said aloud thatyoushall live together as a married couple, are you now joinedtogether in marriage. Not by this

ceremony have you been broughtinto shame or merely wedded, for by this is constituted asuperior

marriage and certain to last into all posterity."

Candida perpetuo reside, Concordia, lecto,tamque pari semper sit Venus aequa iugo.

Priest: IllustriousConcord, may you always preside over this couples livestogether, and so may Venusalways bring happiness into theirmarried lives and bless them with children. (M. ValeriusMartialis

Epigrammata IV 13.7-8)

Diideaeque omnes, superi atque inferi, vos semper ament etfelicitatem velint.

Priest: "Mayall the gods and goddesses, above and below, always love you andwish you muchhappiness."

Ilicet!Nos un NN et NN, marito et maritae, gratulemur!

Priest : "It isdone. Join now, all of you, in welcoming NN and NN, together ashusband and wife."

roman wedding

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