Roman festivals - lupercalia

Question 1

What is the Lupercalia?

Answer 1

festival of purification and fertility in honour of Lupercus and also Romulus (wolf) on the 15th Feb

Question 2

Who were the officials?

Answer 2

Priests called luperci chosen especially for the day from noble male pop.

Question 3

Describe the programme

Answer 3

priests gather in Lupercal (cave in palatine hill where romulus and remus where suckled by a she wolf), it contained an altar to Lupercus. the luperci were split into 2 teams and then underwent a sacrifice, then a race around foot of palatine hill

Question 4

Describe the sacrifice

Answer 4

sacrificed dogs and goats (virility to god of fertility), sprinkled mola salsa on heads, bowed heads in acceptance and then slit throat (blood dripped on foreheads of participants), blood wiped w cloth soaked in milk and the luperci laugh, haruspex reads entrails and if + then they ate the meat and drink wine, cut skin from animals for covering body during race (naked)

Question 5

Describe the race

Answer 5

public part of festival involving running around foot of palatine hill, through roman forum and whipped spectators for fertility