The Roman Calendar

“Like sands through the hour glass, so to our the days of our

lives…”

Terms to know Week ran A-H (8 day

cycle) Kalends (Juno)

1st of month Nones

5th

7th (March, May, July, October)

Ides (Jupiter) 13th 15th (March, May, July,

October)

Terms to know

N = NefastusNP = Nefastus

PulicusC = ComitialisF = Faustus

How to

read a

Roman Calendar

Kalends (1st) of May (MAI)

comitialis

Nones (7th) fastus

Lemuria Festival

nefastus

Ides (15th)

Nefastus publicus

Festivals and GamesLudi = gamesRituals carried out at state expenseDidn’t matter how many attend AS LONG

AS it is DONE CORRECTLYFree entertainment – wealthy individuals

Chariot races Theatrical performances (plays, mimes) Large animal displays and hunts Gladiatorial battles Miniature sea battles

JANUARY (Janvs)

1 January – COMPITALIA - LaresCompitum = a point at which four small

farms meetFarmCity

February (Februa)13-22 – PARENTALIA – Spirits of dead

(Manes)15 – LUPERCALIA – Faunus?

Roman ideas of decorum and conservatism?

March (Mars)Original New YearBegin of…Start of…Throughout month:

Salii (12) + rituals Uniform Ancient Latin Leaping Nights

March (Mars)1st – Sanctuary of Mars in Regia

Shields1st – Sacred Fire – Vesta14th and 19th – Horse races15th – ANNA PERENNA

annare perennareque17th LIBERALIA – Liber Pater19th – QUINQUARTRUUS (festival sacred to

Minerva)

Salii + major Roman Priests24th - return

APRIL (aperire, "to open“ )

4th and 11th – two feasts of Cybele Games

15th – FORDICIDIA – Tellus Mater forda Unborn calf + Parilia

19th – CERELIA – Ceres21st – PARILIA – Pales

Farm City

APRIL

28th April – 3 May – FLORALIA – Flora Farm City Puritanical Romans…

Unfixed date – near endFERIAE LATINAE Unity and friendship Alba Longa Consuls and important magistrates

SEX LICENSEOn the FLORALIA you arepermitted to enjoy yourselfA LOT!

May (?Maia- goddess of spring)

9th, 11th, 13th – LEMURIA – festival of the dead – Lemures

14th

Pons Siblicius – oldest bridge – Tiber Straw puppets Theory 1 Theory 2

Unfixed date – AMBARVALIA (farm) (AMBURBIUM in city) Suovetaurilia in city vs. farm

June (Juno)

9-15th – VESTALIA – Vesta15th – clean storehouse24th – festival of Fortuna

Open to slaves

July (Julius Caesar)

6th-13th – games in honour of Apollo23rd – NEPTUNALIA - Neptune

August (Augustus)

12th – festival of Hercules Cacus NO WOMEN

13th – festival to Diana Latins and Romans under Servius Tullius Summer holiday for slaves – a day off

21st – CONSUALIA – Consus Circus Maximus

23rd – VOLCANUS - Vulcan

September (Septum “seven”)

5-19th – Ludi Romani – not religious13th – anniversary of dedication of Jupiter’s

temple on Capitol – 507BC Jupiter Optimus Maximus Statues of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva (triad)

October (octo, "eight“)

13th – FONTONALIA15th – Mars

Chariot races Head of horse Tail of horse – Regia Blood of horse – ashes of calf

from Fordicidia

November (novem, "nine“)

4-17th - Ludi Plebis15th – feast in honour of Jupiter

December (decem, "ten“)

Unfixed date – BONA DEA – Good Goddess Fauna? ONLY WOMEN Clodius Pulcher – dressed as a woman!

17-23rd – SATURNALIA Latium Business Slaves