Quotes from Robert Turcan

Children whose birth was being commemorated received symbolic presents that acted as talismans. Thus, in Plautus (Ep., 639 f.), Telestis received a gold crescent and a little ring of the same metal.

If, for example, you bought a piece of land in which a dead person was interred, you had to pay him suitable homage every year: by doing so you were guaranteed his protection - always useful (Mart., Ep., 10, 61, 5).

It is known that beans were the subject of an orphicopythagorean prohibition, because of certain 'sacred reasons concerning souls' (Jambl., VP, 109). They were believed to be imbued with life, and to give them as food to the dead was to spare the living who were threatened by the Lemuria.

This was notably the case of the Matronalia on 1 March, 'the calends of the women' (Juv., 9, 53), a solemn occasion said to have been instituted in honour of the Sabine women and the anniversary of the temple dedicated to Juno Lucina in 375 BC. It was, in fact, a kind of mothers' day when their daughters, and also their husbands, gave them presents

Plutarch (Num., 21, 3) makes the Pinarii descendants of a certain Pinus, son of Numa.

war and peace also dominated the function of the sanans, leaping and singing priests grouped in two sodalities: twelve Salians of Mars and twelve of Quirinus, who respectively opened and closed the season, the first in March, the second in October, under the common protection of Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus.

Expert in examining entrails of sacrificed animals, but also in interpreting prodigies and lightning, the haruspices were for a long time the custodians of an Etruscan science resorted to only in exceptional circumstances. They formed an official college of sixty members only from the time of the emperor Claudius (41-54), who was, as we know, passionately interested in Etruscology.

Cato warns people to be on their guard against every 'haruspex, augur, soothsayer and Chaldaean' (astrologer). Here we can recognise the old Roman who does not want to be hindered in his daily activities.

As may be seen, the majority of public priesthoods had a collegial structure;

the Vestals also had custody of mysterious fetishes which were considered to be the sacred pledges of Roman hegemony (pignora imperii), hidden in the strongroom of the temple or penus Vestae.

Even at night, while he slept, the flamen Dialis was supposed to be attending to his divine service, for a receptacle containing sacred cakes was at the foot of his bed (Gell., 10, 15, 14).

A fine example of peace with the gods through peace among men . . . Goddesses were offered 'sellisternia', where they were seated, while the gods remained reclining (Val. Max., 2, 1, 2), in keeping with early Roman custom at family meals.

Four types of holidays may be distinguished: fixed (stativae), movable (conceptivae), for special circumstances (imperativae) as well as market days (nundinae), which occurred every ninth day to mark a kind of week, their periodicity being thus fixed

With the rex, the three major flamines (of Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus) and the Vestals shared the privilege of being taken by carriage to the sacra publica.

In these temples was celebrated the anniversary (natalis) of their dedication (today we would say their 'inauguration').

The flaminica, a devotee of the cult of Juno, never went out unless wearing a long garment of purple wool. A veil similar to the flammeum of a young bride shrouded her hair, which was braided and dressed high to form a (conical?) tutulus. Her shoes were made from the leather of sacrificed animals.

To Ovid (F, 1, 149 ff.), surprised that time does not recommence in spring, Janus replies that 'the winter solstice is the first day of the new sun and the last of the old' (ibid., 163).

As it is for us, 1 January was a day of good wishes and new year's gifts, when only words of good omen had to be spoken

Of the twelve minor flamines, whose recruitment was open to plebeians, we know only those of Vulcan, Volturnus, Palatua (the local goddess of the Palatine), Furrina (another local goddess, but of a sacred wood on the Janiculum), Flora, Carmenta (the 'Prophetess'), Portunus, Falacer (?) and Pomona.

the chief priest was a kind of 'pope' who very quickly acquired the prerogatives of the rex. Thus in 12 BC Augustus assumed its title and attributes.

Aesculapius, the god of health, whose favour was just as opportune on the first day of January.

the augurs' task was to consult the gods by observing the sky, birds, their flight and their cries, but also lightning and thunder.

February was the month of atonement and, as we have seen, the dead. The first day, in fact, linked the anniversary of Juno Sospita (on the Palatine) with the cult of Helernus.

The god of woods and flocks, Faunus deifies the forces of nature which the peasant both fears and entreats. So in this instance he was propitiated on the fringes of the city and civilised life