Martia ter senos proles adoleverat annos, Saepe domum veniunt praedonum sanguine laeti, Vt genus audierunt, animos pater editus auget, Moenia conduntur, quae quamvis parva fuerunt, 40 45 15. LVPERCALIA. FAS. II. 267. FAUNUS was an ancient Latin rural-deity, who haunted woods and wilds, the object of peculiar adoration to the shepherd and husbandman 1. When foreign superstitions became rife, he was confounded with the Arcadian Pan. Observe also, that while Faunus was recognised as an individual, he gave a name to a whole class of deities who were called 'Fauni2,' and bore a strong resemblance to the 'Satyri' of Grecian mythology, with whom they are generally identified in the works of the poets. Faunus was not considered by the Romans as a purely beneficent power, but as a wayward and tricky spirit, who loved to sport with the weakness and fears of men. To him and to his train were attributed all strange sights and sounds which terrify the lonely wayfarer, spectral forms appearing under changing shapes, frightful dreams and nightmares, 'the thousand fantasies Of calling shapes, and beckoning shadows dire, 1 In the writers of the Augustan age, Faunus can scarcely be distinguished from Silvanus, concerning whom see introduction to 14. 2 As there were Fauni,' so there were 'Silvani,' and in like manner among the Greeks, 'Panes' and 'Sileni.' And aery tongues that syllable men's names On sands, and shores, and desert wildernesses 1.' 'Faunus' and his sister Fauna' were possessed of prophetic powers also, and in this capacity were known by the epithets Fatuus' and 'Fatua' At an early period there were two oracles of this god situated in sacred groves, one near Tibur at the sources of the Albunea, the other on the Aventine. The former, with its ceremonies, has been fully described by Virgil, the latter by Ovid2. The festival of Faunus commenced on the Ides of February, and on the 15th the solemnities of the 'Lupercalia' were celebrated, which, in the time of Ovid, were believed to appertain to the same divinity. On the last-mentioned day a body of priests styled 'Luperci,' divided into two colleges, distinguished as 'Quinctilii' and 'Fabii3,' assembled at the 'Lupercal,' a sacred inclosure on the Palatine, where a sacrifice of goats and dogs was offered up. The Luperci then stripped themselves naked, threw the goat-skins over their shoulders, and brandishing in their hands thongs cut from the hides, ran through the most frequented streets of the city smiting all whom they encountered, especially married women, who eagerly offered themselves to receive the lash, since it was supposed to confer fertility. Thus Ov. Fast. 2. 425, 'Nupta, quid expectas? non tu pollentibus herbis, and Juv. S. 2. 140, 'steriles moriuntur, et illis Turgida non prodest condita pyxide Lyde 1 See Dionys. Hal. 5. 16, Plin. H. N. 25. 4, Livy 5. 50, Augustin. 2 Virg. Ae. 7. 85, Ov. Fast. 4. 649. 3 Or Quinctiliani' and 'Fabiani,' see Festus in verbb. Julius Caesar added a third college called after himself. See Suet. Jul. 76, Dio 44. 6. The skin was called 'Februus' (Serv. Virg. Ae. 8. 343), which shows that the sacrifice was of a purificatory nature. See notes on 19. 5 Hic exsultantes Salios, nudosque Lupercos.' Virg. Aen. 8. 663. 6 Marc Antony, when consul, did not scruple to exhibit himself in this guise, and his appearance afforded an excellent theme for the satire of Cicero (Philipp. 2. 34). It was on this occasion that he offered a kingly crown' to Caesar. 6 In the two following extracts Ovid gives a description of these rites, and endeavours, in various ways, to explain their origin. He then proceeds to enquire into the etymology of the word 'Lupercal,' and first derives it from 'Lupus,' supposing the den of the wolf who suckled Romulus and Remus to have been situated at this spot, which leads him to repeat the legend of the exposure of the twins. As a second derivation, we are told that we may consider 'Lupercus' a translation of Avkaîos, an epithet of Pan, to whom the Avkaîov õpos, or Wolf Mountain in Arcadia was sacred. This was the Greek version of the matter, and commonly current among the Romans in the age of Virgil, as we see from Ae. 8. 342: 'Hic lucum ingentem, quem Romulus acer Asylum Some curious details are given by Dionysius, who tells us that one of the first acts of the colony under Evander was to consecrate a shrine to Lycean Pan, the most ancient and honoured of the Arcadian deities, 'having found out a fitting spot which the Romans call “Lupercalium,” but we (the Greeks) would name "Lyceum." The ground in every direction about the sacred inclosure being now covered with buildings, it has become difficult to form an idea of the original aspect of the place. But there was in ancient times, as we are told, a great cave under the hill, covered over by a dense thicket; deep springs welled from beneath the rocks, while the cliffs all round were shaded by numerous tall trees. Having there erected an altar to the god, they performed, in the manner of their country, a sacrifice which is still offered by the Romans in the month of February, after the winter solstice, the ancient ceremonies being performed without change.' There can be little doubt, however, that these derivations and explanations are all equally futile, for we find distinct traces of an ancient Latin god and goddess, 'Lupercus' and 'Luperca,' of whom the latter is said to be the very wolf who suckled the twins raised to the rank of a deity 3. Hence the 'Luperci' would be their priests, the 'Lupercal' 1 The note of Servius is worth reading. 2 We ought not to omit a very choice one preserved by Quinctilian, I. 5, who tells us that some persons maintained that 'Lupercal' was a triple compound of the words 'luere per capram.' See Justin 43. I, Varro ap. Arnob. 4. 3, Lactant. I. 20, Hartung. 2. p. 176. their shrine, the 'Lupercalia' their proper festival. Their worship was afterwards mixed up with that of Faunus, who in his turn was identified with Pan, thus forming one of those confused combinations so frequent in the religion of the later Romans1. TERTIA post Idus nudos Aurora Lupercos Adspicit: et Fauni sacra bicornis eunt. 5 ΙΟ ગ 15 20 * * * * * 1 There were Faunalia' in December also, so that possibly Faunus may originally have had no connection with the festivals in February. See Horace, Ode to Faunus, Od. 3. 18: 'Ludit herboso pecus omne campo, Quum tibi Nonae redeunt Decembres; Cum bove pagus.' Adde peregrinis causas, mea Musa, Latinas, 25 30 35 40 16. LVPERCAL. FAS. II. 381. THE origin of the ceremonies practised at the Lupercalia having been discussed, the poet proceeds to investigate the etymology of the word 'Lupercal.' FORSITAN et quaeras, cur sit locus ille Lupercal; Quaeve diem tali nomine causa notet. Ilia Vestalis caelestia semina partu Ediderat, patruo regna tenente suo. |