Roman Fertility Festivals

Question 1

Lupercalia

Answer 1

Feb 15, in honor of she-wolf that suckled Romulus and Remus, Luperci would run around pomerium, would sacrifice a goat and wear its pelt, would strike women as fertility rite

Question 2

Fornicalia

Answer 2

Feb 17, feast of ovens which ended on this day with a public banquet honoring the goddess Fornax (or Oven)

Question 3

Fordicidia

Answer 3

April 15, the slaughter of the fordae (pregnant cows), one on the capitoline and the rest in each of the 30 curiae (wards of the city), cows were sacrificed to Tellus (the earth), unborn calves were Parilia

Question 4

Cerealia

Answer 4

April 19, the rites of Ceres (Demeter), torches fastened to foxes which were then released in the Circus Maximus

Question 5

Parilia

Answer 5

April 21, the rites of Pales (the strengthener of cattle), birthday of the city, purification rites connected to founding of Rome, ashes from Fordicidia mixed w/ blood of the October Horse were thrown upon a fire of bean straw

Question 6

Ambarvalia

Answer 6

May 29, a procession which moved 3 times around the arva (the ploughed fields) involved a suovtaurilia (sacrifice of pig, sheep, and a bull) rites were performed in honor of Mars or Ceres, seemed to represent the drawing of a magic circle around the fields

Question 7

Consualia

Answer 7

Aug 21, rites of Consus (god of the stored harvest), horse races and mule races in the Circus Maximus

Question 8

October Horse

Answer 8

Oct 15, chariot-race on the Campus Martius followed by a horse sacrificed for Mars, horse’s head adorned w/ loaves to thank Mars for having protected the harvest