List of festivals and holidays in the Roman Empire
Religious festivities in ancient Rome, history painting by Lawrence Alma-Tadema
The festival culture of the Roman Empire includes religious holidays, competitions and political events (see also: Feriae ). The most important festive and religious days were the Saturnalia , Bacchanalia , Lupercalia and the Bona Dea rituals.
The list is structured chronologically. Some of these holidays were established in specific eras. The first date is mentioned whenever possible.
Ianuarius
- January 1 - Consuls elected in December commenced their duties (from 153 BC)
- January 3rd - Peace Festival
- January 9 - Agonium , in honor of Janus
- January 11th - Carmentalia , in honor of Carmenta
- January 15 - Carmentalia
- January 24th - Sementivae , in honor of Ceres and Terra Mater
February
- February 13. bis 21st February - Parentalia , in honor of the deceased ancestors
- February 15 - Lupercalia , in honor of Lupercus = Faunus
- February 17 - Quirinalia , in honor of Quirinus (Stultorum feriae)
- February 21 - Feralia , in honor of the Di Manes (end of Parentalia, "Tacita")
- February 22nd - Caristia , a kinship reconciliation festival
- February 23 - Terminalia , in honor of Terminus
- February 24th - Regifugium
- February 27 - Equirria (Ecurria) in honor of Mars
Martius
- March - Consuls took office on the Ides of March (Third Century BC)
-
March 1st -
- Roman New Year
- Matronalia (Mamuralia), in honor of Juno
- Feriae Martis , in honor of Mars
- Renewal of the sacred flame of Rome (see Vesta )
- March 5th - Navigium Isidis , in honor of Isis and the start of shipping
- March 15th - Feriae Annae Perennae
- March 17th - Agonium , in honor of Mars
- March 17th - Liberalia (festival) , in honor of Liber
- March 19th bis 23. March - Quinquatrus / Quinquatria (maiores), in honor of Mars
- March 22. bis 24. March - QRCF (Quando Rex Comitiavit Fas) (. From about 450 BC.)
- March 30th - Salus holiday
Aprilis
The Birth of Venus (1485), Sandro Botticelli ; after the image is also contracting Venus Medici called
- April 1st : Veneralia , in honor of Venus
- 4 - April 11 : megalesia , in honor of Magna Mater
- 12. - 19th April : Ludi Cereris , games in honor of Ceres (since 202 BC.. ), As previously Cerialia
- April 15th : Fordicidia , in honor of Tellus
- April 21 : Parilia , in honor of Pales
- April 23 : Vinalia Priora , in honor of Jupiter
- April 25th : Robigalia , in honor of Robigus , with a race
- April 28th - May 4th : Floralia
Maius
Illustration of Mercurius at Mainz main station
- May 1st - Bona Dea / Maia holiday
- May 3rd - Ludi Florales ( Floralia ), games in honor of Flora
- May 9 , May 11 , May 13 - Lemuria , in honor of the Larvae (Lemures)
- May 11th - Rosalia , Roman commemoration of the dead, usually celebrated on May 11th, sometimes also in June or until mid-July
- May 15 - Mercuralia , in honor of Mercurius and Maia
- May 21 - Agonium / Agonalia, in honor of Vediovis
- May 22. bis 24. May - QRCF (Quando Rex Comitiavit Fas) (. From about 450 BC.)
Junius
- June 1st - Carnaria , in honor of Carna
- June 3rd - holiday in honor of Bellona
- June 7th - Ludi Piscatores
- June 9 - Vestalia / Vacuna, in honor of Vesta
- June 11th - Matr (on) alia , in honor of Mater Matuta
- June 13 - Quinquatrus Minusculae
- June 15 - Q.ST.DF Quando Stercum Delatum Fas , in honor of Vesta
- June 20 - holiday in honor of Summanus
- June 23rd - Day of Evil Omen: Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Trasimeno , (Roman defeat by Hannibal )
- June 25th - Festival of Fors Fortuna
- June 29th - Dedication of the Temple of Quirinus , in honor of Augustus (from 16 BC)
Julius
- July 4th - Foundation Day of the Ara Pacis of Augustus
- July 5th - Poplifugia , festival in honor of Jupiter (?)
- July 6. bis 13. July - Ludi Apollinares , games in honor of Apollo (since . 208 BC. )
- July 7th - Nonae Capratinae
- July 18th - Day of the Evil Omen: Defeat on the Allia ( 390 BC ), destruction of Rome by the Gauls
- July 19 , July 21 - lucaria
- July 23 - Neptunalia in honor of Neptune
- July 25th - Furrinalia in honor of Furrina
Augustus
Jupiter on the roof of Rastatt Castle , throwing lightning bolts in the direction of Strasbourg
- August 1st - capture of Alexandria , in honor of Caesar
- August 2nd - Victory over Pharnakes II , in honor of Caesar
- August 9 - Victory at Pharsalus , in honor of Caesar
- August 10 - Holiday in honor of Ops
- August 13 - Vertumnalia in honor of Vertumnus
- August 17th - Portunalia in honor of Portunus
- August 19 - Vinalia Rustica in honor of Jupiter
- August 21 - Ludi Consualia , games and races in honor of Consus
- August 23 - Vulcanalia , in honor of Vulcanus
- August 25 - Opiconsivia , in honor of Ops
- August 27 - Volturnalia , in honor of Volturnus
September
- September 2 - Victory at Actium , in honor of Augustus . The holiday was abolished by Caligula .
- September 4. bis 19th September - Ludi Romani , games for the Roman people, by the Aedile organized (since 366 BC.. )
- September 15 - Celebration of the discovery of the conspiracy
- September 21 - Consualia I, in honor of Consus
October
- October 6th - Day of Evil Omen: Anniversary of the Battle of Arausio ( 105 BC )
- October 11th - Meditrinalia , feast of the first tasting and libation of the new must
- October 13th - Fontinalia , Feast of Fontus
- October 15th - Equirria , horse race of the " equus October " on the Marsfeld
- October 19 - Armilustrium in honor of Mars
November
- November 3rd - Inventio Osiridis ("Finding Osiris "), as part of the Roman-Hellenistic cult of Isis
- November 4. bis 17th November - Ludi Plebii , games for the people of Rome by the aedile (since 216 BC.. )
- November 13th - Epulum Jovis
- November 15th - Holiday in honor of Feronia
- November 24th - Beginning of the Brumalia , a 30-day festival established by Romulus in honor of Bacchus
December
- December 4th - Bona Dea rituals, exclusively for women
- December 5th - Faunalia , in honor of Faunus
- December 11th - Agonium Indigeti , in honor of Sol Indiges
- December 11th - Septimontium , festival of the inhabitants of the seven hills of Rome ( septem montes )
- December 15 - Consualia II, in honor of Consus
- December 17th - Saturnalia in honor of Saturn (official holiday only from 45 BC)
- December 19 - Opalia in honor of Ops
- December 21 - Divalia or Angeronalia in honor of Diva Angerona
- December 23rd - Larentalia , in honor of Acca Larentia
- December 25th - Dies Natalis Invicti in honor of Sol / Sol Invictus
- December 30th - January 1st - Compitalia in honor of the Lares
literature
- Angelika König, Ingemar König : The Roman festival calendar of the republic. Festivals, organizations and priesthoods (= Reclams Universal Library No. 8693, Reclam Knowledge ). Reclam, Stuttgart 1991, ISBN 3-15-008693-0 .
- Jörg Rüpke : Calendar and Public. The history of the representation and religious qualification of time in Rome (= Religious- historical experiments and preparatory work. Vol. 40). de Gruyter, Berlin a. a. 1995, ISBN 3-11-014514-6 (At the same time: Tübingen, Universität, habilitation paper, 1994).