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LUSTRUM MMDCCLXVI - THE PURIFICATION OF NOVA ROMA
1. OPENING OF THE LUSTRUM
The lustrum begins with the salutation of the altar with adoratio, the celebrant Cn. Lentulus pontifex and quaestor having covered his head with the back of his pontifical toga.
First, he requests the gods to accept him as a substitution and as a representative of the censores Ti. Paulinus and Cn. Caesar:
"Di immortales, vos censores et ego precamur, uti me Cn. Cornelium Lentulum pontificem et quaestorem lustrum facientem pro se ipsis censoribus Ti. Galerio Paulino et Cn. Iulio Caesare lustrum facientibus accipiatis! Huius rei ergo macte hoc ture estote fitote volentes propitii censoribus Ti. Galerio Paulino et Cn. Iulio Caesare, rei publicae Novae Romanae,
mihi, domo, familiae."
"Gods Immortal, the censores and I ask you that you accept mes Cn. Cornelius Lentulus pontifex and quaestor, as the performer of the lustrum, in place of the censores themselves, Ti. Galerius Paulinus and Cn. Iulius Caesar. For the sake of this be you blessed benevolent and propitious by this incense to the censores Ti. Galerius Paulinus and Cn. Iulius Caesar, to the Nova Roman Republic, to me, to my household and to my family."
[Incense is
sacrificed]
Cn. Lentulus opens the lustrum for the censores with the exclamation:
"Favete linguis!"
"Whatch over your tongues."
2. SACRED PURIFICATIVE CIRCUITION
The celebrant Cn. Lentulus pronounces aloud the following call from the censors addressing the assistant T. Popillia Laenas, who is addressed as Manius, interestingly, a sacred tradition, a name on which all assistants are addressed during this ceremony:
"Cum divis volentibus
quodque bene eveniat,
censor mandat tibi, Mani,
uti illace liba velut suovitaurilia
hoc signum, Novam Romam, populum Novum Romanum Quirites,
remque publicam populi Novi Romani Quiritium
quota ex parte sive circumagi sive circumferenda censeas,
uti cures lustrare."
"That with the good help of the gods
success may crown our work,
the Censor bids you, Manius,
to take care to purify
this symbol, Nova Roma, the Nova Roman people of Quirites,
and the republic of the Nova Roman people of Quirites
with these sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia,
in whatever part you think best for them to be driven or carried around."
[T. Popillia Laenas takes the pieces the sacrificial cakes symbolizing the pig, the sheep and the bull, and carries them around the the symbols and consecrated flag of Nova Roma, walking around it clockwise direction, three times.]
3. PRAEFATIO
When the circuition has ended, the celebrant pontifex Lentulus starts the following preface prayers, begging the blessing of the main gods of Nova Roma into the lustrum, invoking their presence and their allowance of the ceremony.
"Iane,
te hoc ture commovendo
bonas preces precor,
uti sies volens propitius
Populo Novo Romano Quiritibus,
mihi, domo, familiae!"
"Ianus,
by offering this incense to you,
I pray good prayers so
that you may be benevolent and propitious
to the Nova Roman People of Quirites,
to me, to my household and to my family."
[Incense is placed in the focus of the altar.]
"Iuppiter Optime Maxime,
te hoc ture commovendo
bonas preces precor,
uti sies volens propitius
Populo Novo Romano Quiritibus,
mihi, domo, familiae!"
"Iuppiter, the Best and Greatest,
by offering this incense to you,
I pray good prayers so
that you may be benevolent and propitious
to the Nova Roman People of Quirites,
to me, to my household and to my family."
[Incense is placed in the focus of the altar.]
"Mars,
te hoc ture commovendo
bonas preces precor,
uti sies volens propitius
Populo Novo Romano Quiritibus,
mihi, domo, familiae!"
"Mars,
by offering this incense to you,
I pray good prayers so
that you may be benevolent and propitious
to the Nova Roman People of Quirites,
to me, to my household and to my family."
[Incense is placed in the focus of the altar.]
"Quirine,
te hoc ture commovendo
bonas preces precor,
uti sies volens propitius
Populo Novo Romano Quiritibus,
mihi, domo, familiae!"
"Quirinus,
by offering this incense to you,
I pray good prayers so
that you may be benevolent and propitious
to the Nova Roman People of Quirites,
to me, to my household and to my family."
[Incense is placed in the focus of the altar.]
"Iane,
uti te ture commovendo
bonas preces precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte vino inferio esto!"
"Ianus,
as by offering you the incense
I have prayed good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this sacrificial wine."
[Libation of wine is made.]
"Iuppiter Optime Maxime,
uti te ture commovendo
bonas preces precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte vino inferio esto!"
"Iuppiter, the Best and Greatest,
as by offering you the incense
I have prayed good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this sacrificial wine."
[Libation of wine is made.]
"Mars,
uti te ture commovendo
bonas preces precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte vino inferio esto!"
"Mars,
as by offering you the incense
I have prayed good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this sacrificial wine."
[Libation of wine is made.]
"Quirine,
uti te ture commovendo
bonas preces precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte vino inferio esto!"
"Quirinus,
as by offering you the incense
I have prayed good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this sacrificial wine."
[Libation of wine is made.]
4. PRECATIO LUSTRI
After the preface prayers, the celebrant Cn. Lentulus recites the main prayer of lustrum, asking Mars to purify Nova Roma.
"Mars pater,
te precor quaesoque
uti censu Novae Romae rite acto,
hoc die festivissimo lustri faciendi, hoc anno anniversarii XV Novae Romae conditae,
sies volens propitius
Novae Romae lustrandae,
populo Novo Romano Quiritibus lustrandis,
reique publicae populi Novi Romani Quiritium lustrandae,
mihi domo familiae lustrandae,
quoius rei ergo hoc signum, Novam Romam,
populum Novum Romanum Quirites,
remque publicam populi Novi Romani Quiritium
suovitaurilia circumagi censor iussit,
uti tu morbos visos invisosque,
viduertatem vastitudinemque,
calamitates intemperiasque
prohibessis defendas averruncesque;
utique tu omnes eventus semper
bonos fautosque esse siris,
rem publicam Novam Romanam salvam servassis
duisque bonam salutem valetudinemque
Novae Romae,
populo Novo Romano Quiritibus,
reique publicae populi Novi Romani Quiritium,
mihi domo familiae,
harumce rerum ergo,
Novae Romae lustrandae,
populi Novi Romani Quiritium lustrandorum,
reique publicae populi Novi Romani Quiritium lustrandae,
lustrique faciendi ergo,
sicuti dixi,
macte hisce libis velut suovitaurilibus inmolandis esto!
Mars pater,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte hisce libis velut suovitaurilibus esto!"
"Father Mars,
now, upon having properly conducted the Census of Nova Roma,
on this most festive day of celebrating the Lustrum, in the year of the 15th Anniversary of the founding of Nova Roma,
I pray and beseech you
that you be benevolent and propotious
to Nova Roma under lustration,
to the Nova Roman people of Quirites under lustration,
and to the republic of the Nova Roman people of Quirites under lustration,
to me, to my household and to my family under lustration;
to which intent the Censor has bidden these sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia
to be led around this symbol, Nova Roma,
the Nova Roman people of Quirites,
and the republic of the Nova Roman people of Quirites;
that you keep away, ward off, and remove
sickness, seen and unseen,
barrenness and destruction,
ruin and unseasonable influence;
that you allow all events
to be good and salutary always,
preserve in health the Nova Roman Republic,
and give good health and strength to Nova Roma,
to the Nova Roman people of Quirites,
and to the republic of the Nova Roman people of Quirites,
to me, to my household and to my family,
For these very reasons,
to the intent of purifying Nova Roma,
purifying the Nova Roman people of Quirites,
purifying the republic of the Nova Roman people of Quirites
and of making a Lustrum,
as I have said,
deign to accept the offering of these sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia.
Father Mars,
to the same intent
deign to accept the offering of these sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia."
5. SACRIFICIUM SUOVETAURILIUM
When the main prayer has finished, the celebrant quaestor and pontifex, Cn. Lentulus, in the name of the censors, places the suovetaurilia into the fire, and says the following for each item he offers (carefully, because pronouncing the name of Mars is forbidden here):
"Eiusque rei ergo
macte suovitaurilibus inmolandis esto."
"And to this intent
be blessed by the sacrifice of suovetaurilia."
[Placing sacrificial cake representing pig into the fire.]
"Eiusque rei ergo
macte suovitaurilibus inmolandis esto."
"And to this intent
be blessed by the sacrifice of suovetaurilia."
[Placing sacrificial cake representing sheep into the fire.]
"Eiusque rei ergo
macte suovitaurilibus inmolandis esto."
"And to this intent
be blessed by the sacrifice of suovetaurilia."
[Placing sacrificial cake representing bull into the fire.]
6. SACRIFICIUM STRUIS ET FERTI
Now the celebrant Lentulus standing in for the censors, has to sacrifice a strues and a fertum, too. The strues is a pile of small offering-cakes, a heap of cakes. The fertum is a particular type of cake.
"Mars pater,
uti te suovetaurilibus immolatis
bonis precibus bene precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte hac strue esto!"
"Father Mars,
as by sacrificing you the suovetaurilia
I have prayed well with good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this strues."
[Strues is placed into the fire.]
"Mars pater,
uti te suovetaurilibus immolatis
bonis precibus bene precatus sum,
eiusdem rei ergo
macte hoc ferto esto!"
"Father Mars,
as by sacrificing you the suovetaurilia
I have prayed well with good prayers,
for the very same reason
be thou blessed by this fertum."
[Fertum is placed into the fire.]
7. PIACULUM
At the end, a piaculum is to be done for the sake of safety, in case if the celebrant made a mistake in the ceremony. For the piaculum, pontifex Cn. Lentulus offers another suovetaurilia to Mars, as required, and incense for all gods invoked:
"Mars pater,
si quid tibi in illisce libis velut suovitaurilibus neque satisfactum est,
te hisce libis velut suovitaurilibus piaculo."
"Father Mars,
if something in those sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia was not pleasing to you,
I placate you with these sacrificial cakes as a suovetaurilia ."
[Another 3 cakes representing pig, sheep and bull are placed into the fire.]
"Iane, Iuppiter Optime Maxime, Mars, Quirine,
si quid vobis in hoc lustro displicuit,
vos hoc thure obmovendo piaculo."
"Ianus, Iuppiter, the Best and Greatest, Mars, Quirinus,
if anything in this Lustum was displeasing to you,
I placate you with this incense."
[Incense is placed in the focus of the altar.]
8. CLOSING OF THE LUSTRUM
The celebrant cries three times:
"Nova Roma lustrata est!
"Nova Roma is purified by the Lustrum!
And closes:
Ilicet!"
"It's permitted to go!"
And the Lustrum of Nova Roma is solemnly closed by Cn. Lentulus pontifex and quaestor.
VALETE!
VIVAT NOVA ROMA ANNORUM XV!
LONG LIVE THE 15 YEARS OLD NOVA ROMA!
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