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Cato omnibus in foro SPD
Hodiernus dies est Idibus Novembribus; hic dies nefastus publicus est.
"This was followed almost immediately by a war with the Greeks on the
eastern coast. The Tarentines had encouraged the people of Palaeopolis
through their long resistance with vain hopes of succour, and when
they heard that the Romans had got possession of the place they
severely blamed the Palaeopolitans for leaving them in the lurch, as
though they were quite guiltless of having behaved in a similar manner
themselves. They were furious with the Romans, especially after they
found that the Lucanians and Apulians had established friendly
relations with them-for it was in this year that the alliance had been
formed-and they realised that they would be the next to be involved.
They saw that it must soon become a question of either fighting Rome
or submitting to her, and that their whole future in fact depended
upon the result of the Samnite war. That nation stood out alone, and
even their strength was inadequate for the struggle, now that the
Lucanians had abandoned them. They believed, however, that these could
still be brought back and induced to desert the Roman alliance, if
sufficient skill were shown in sowing the seeds of discord between
them. These arguments found general acceptance among a people who were
fickle and restless, and some young Lucanians, distinguished for their
unscrupulousness rather than for their sense of honour, were bribed to
make themselves tools of the war party. After scourging one another
with rods they presented themselves with their backs exposed, in the
popular Assembly, and loudly complained that after they had ventured
inside the Roman camp, they had been scourged by the consul's orders
and were within an ace of losing their heads. The affair had an ugly
look, and the visible evidence removed any suspicion of fraud. The
Assembly became greatly excited, and amidst loud shouts insisted upon
the magistrates convening the senate. When it assembled the senators
were surrounded by a crowd of spectators who clamoured for war with
Rome, whilst others went off into the country to rouse the peasantry
to arms. Even the coolest heads were carried away by the tumult of
popular feeling; a decree was passed that a fresh alliance should be
made with the Samnites, and negotiations were opened with them
accordingly. The Samnites did not feel much confidence in this sudden
and apparently groundless change of policy, and the Lucanians were
obliged to give hostages and allow the Samnites to garrison their
fortified places. Blinded by the imposition that had been practiced on
them and by their furious resentment at it, they made no difficulty
about accepting these terms. Shortly afterwards, when the authors of
the false charges had removed to Tarentum, they began to see how they
had been hoodwinked, but it was then too late, events were no longer
in their power, and nothing remained but unavailing repentance." -
Livy, History of Rome 8.27
"Vividi gaudens Feronia luco." - Vergil, Aeneid, viii.800
"His fractus ductor conuelli signa maniplis
optato laetis abitu iubet. itur in agros
diues ubi ante omnis colitur Feronia luco
et sacer umectat Flauinia rura Capenas." - Silius Italicus, Punica
XIII.83
"Circaevmque ivgum circa hunc tractum Campaniae colebatur puer
Iuppiter, qui Anxyrus dicebatur, quasi aneu xurou, id est sine
novacula, quia barbam numquam rasisset, et Iuno virgo, quae Feronia
dicebatur. Est autem fons in Campania iuxta Terracinam, quae aliquando
Anxur est dicta." - Maurus Servius Honoratus, Commentary on the Aeneid
of Vergil 7.799
"Feronia was the ancient goddess of the market-place and fairs. This
would, as a matter of course, identify her with, and make her the
patron of, all strolling characters who frequent such places. But as
she had temples in Etruria, it is possible that she was common to both
races. The ancients were at a loss where to place her among the
deities; she appears, however, to be a goddess of the earth, and
allied to Mania. But what is most important of all for my purpose is
that she was feared, and that people brought her offerings. She often
appeared as an old woman who went about begging in the country, yet
she always had a gran pulitica--that is, she was intelligent or shrewd
or very cunning in manners--and, as one would have believed, she was a
witch. All who gave her alms were very fortunate, and their affairs
prospered. And if people could give her nothing because of their
poverty, when they returned home after the sun rose (dopo chiaro) they
found abundant gifts--enough to support all the family--so that
henceforth all went well with them; but if any who were rich gave her
nothing, and had evil hearts, she cursed them...The incident of the
begging, and the elegant style and distinguished air indicate a
character like that of Juno and Ceres combined." - C.G. Leland,
"Etruscan Roman Remains in Popular Tradition", ch. III p. 55
"At or near Feronia was a celebrated temple to the goddess of that
name, which, like many ancient shrines, stood in a thick grove Lucus
Feroniae. She seems to have been identical with Proserpine, and was
worshipped by the Sabines, and Latins, as well as by the Etruscans.
Hither, on yearly festivals, pilgrims resorted in great numbers from
the surrounding country, many to perform vows and offer sacrifice
and those who were possessed with the spirit of the goddess, walked
with naked feet over heaps of burning coal and ashes, without
receiving injury and many merchants, artisans, and husbandmen,
taking advantage of the concourse, brought their goods hither for
sale, so that the market or fair held here was more splendid than any
other in Italy. From the numerous first-fruits, and other gifts
offered to the goddess, her shrine became renowned for its riches, and
was decorated with abundance of gold and silver. But it was despoiled
by Hannibal on his march through Italy. It was however maintained
till the fall of paganism in the fourth century. That the temple
itself stood on a height seems probable from the fact, mentioned by
Livy, of its being struck by lightning." - G. Dennis, "The Cities and
Cemeteries of Etruria", ch. 10
"These incidents led to his [Hannibal] withdrawal from Rome, and he
retired as far as the river Tutia, six miles distant from the City.
From there he marched to the grove of Feronia and the temple, which
was celebrated in those days for its wealth. The people of Capena and
other cities round used to bring their first-fruits and other
offerings, according to their ability, and they had also embellished
it with a considerable quantity of gold and silver. Now the temple was
despoiled of all its treasures. Great heaps of metal, where the
soldiers, struck by remorse, had thrown pieces of uncoined brass, were
found there after Hannibal's departure. All writers are agreed as to
the plundering of this temple. Coelius tell us that Hannibal diverted
his march to it while he was going from Eretum to Rome, after marching
from Amiternum by Reate and Cutiliae." - Livy, History of Rome 26.11
"After this war another arose against the Romans on the part of the
Sabine nation, the beginning and occasion of which was this. There is
a sanctuary, honoured in common by the Sabines and the Latins, that is
held in the greatest reverence and is dedicated to a goddess named
Feronia; some of those who translate the name into Greek call her
Anthophoros or "Flower Bearer," others Philostephanos or "Lover of
Garlands," and still others Persephone. To this sanctuary people used
to resort from the neighbouring cities on the appointed days of
festival, many of them performing vows and offering sacrifice to the
goddess and many with the purpose of trafficking during the festive
gathering as merchants, artisans and husbandmen; and here were held
fairs more celebrated than in any other places in Italy." - Dionysus
of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities 3.32
Today is the second day of the three-day festival to Iuppiter, and is
held in honor of both him and the goddess Feronia. Since Iuppiter is
a pretty well-known deity, I am focusing on Feronia. Feronia is a
difficult goddess to identify; some sources claim that she is an
aspect of Iuno, or Ceres/Persephone, or both. She is also called the
"mother of the nymphs of Campania" by Servius (Commentary on the
Aeneid, 8.564), and Varro places her in the group of Sabine goddesses
("Feronia, Minerva, Novensides, a Sabinis." - de Lingua Latina V.74).
At Rome Feronia had a grove and later a temple in the Campus Martius;
the latter is attested only in the calendars. Since her cult at Rome
is curiously placed in the middle of the Plebeian Games, it was
probably older than they were, and it could go back to a primitive
fair, as at Lucus Feroniae. It is first mentioned at Rome when
expiatory offerings were ordered by the Sibylline in 217 BC: they were
extended even to the freedwomen (libertiinae), who according to their
ability had to contribute money for a gift to Feronia, while freewomen
(matronae) contributed to Iuno Regina on the Aventine, Though perhaps
originally an agricultural goddess (she received an offering of the
first-fruits of the season at Lucus Feroniae), she appears to have
acquired a special association with freemen and granting freedom to
slaves. In explaining her name Varro also called her Libertas,
"Libertatem deam dicit, Feroniam quasi Fidoniam", and an inscription
on a seat in her temple at Terracina, where freedman received the cap
of freedom (pilleus) on their shaved heads, runs "Let the deserving
sit down as slaves and rise as freemen" ("Bene meriti servi sedeant,
surgant liberi"). It appears that at Terracina slaves could take
sanctuary at her altar: this would be a Greek rather than a Roman
custom.
This is probably also the "dies natalis" of a temple of Pietas
(Piety), since Pietas is mentioned with Fortuna Primigenia in a
inscription of the second century AD. Her temple in the Forum
Holitorium was vowed by M. Acilius Glabrio at Thermolpylae (191) and
dedicated by his son ten years later. In it was a gilded statue of the
father, the first of its kind in Rome.The temple was destroyed in 44
B.C. to make room for the Theatre of Marcellus. One aspect of Pietas
was the relationship of parent and children, and this temple was
connected with the (Greek) story of a daughter who supplied her
imprisoned father or mother with her own milk. The connection may have
arisen from the nearby Columna (Lactaria), where infants in need of
milk were brought.
Valete bene!
Cato
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