Caeditur et rigido Custodi ruris asellus, Quae facitis nidos, quae plumis ova fovetis, Et facili dulces editis ore modos. Sed nihil ista iuvant: quia linguae crimen habetis, Dique putant mentes vos aperire suas. бо Nec tamen id falsum. Nam, Dîs ut proxima quaeque, Nunc penna veras, nunc datis ore notas. 66 Tuta diu volucrum proles, tum denique caesa est, Ergo saepe suo coniux abducta marito Vritur in calidis alba columba focis. 70 Nec defensa iuvant Capitolia, quo minus anser 19. FEBRVA. FAS. II. 19. THE poet, before entering upon a description of the festivals celebrated during the second month of the year, discusses the meaning of the word 'Februarius,' and adds some remarks upon the nature and use of expiations and purifications. The following passages from Varro and Festus will serve to illustrate the commencement of this extract. Varro, L. L. 6. 3: Rex cum ferias menstruas Nonis Februariis edicit, hunc diem Februatum appellat. Februum Sabini purgamentum, et id in sacris nostris verbum.' Again, after giving the etymology of the names of the ten months which composed the year of Romulus, he continues, L. L. 6. 4: Ad hos qui additi, prior a principe Deo Ianuarius appellatus; posterior, ut idem dicunt scriptores, ab Diis inferis Februarius appellatus quod tum his parentetur. Ego magis arbitror Februarium a die februato, quod tum februatur populus, id est Lupercis nudis lustratur antiquum oppidum Palatinum gregibus humanis cinctum.' 'Februarius mensis The words of Festus are to the same purpose: dictus, quod tum, id est, extremo mense anni, populus februaretur, id est, lustraretur ac purgaretur.... Quaecumque deinde purgamenti causa in quibusque sacrificiis adhibentur, Februa appellantur. Id vero quod purgatur, dicitur februatum.' EBRVA Romani dixere piamina patres : FEBR Nunc quoque dant verbo plurima signa fidem. Quaeque capit lictor domibus purgamina certis, Denique quodcunque est, quo pectora nostra pientur, Omne solum lustrant, idque piamen habent; Aut quia placatis sunt tempora pura sepulchris, Impia lustratos ponere facta putat. Solvit et ille nefas. 5 ΙΟ 15 20 25 20. Ah nimium faciles, qui tristia crimina caedis Sed tamen, antiqui ne nescius ordinis erres, FERALIA. 30 35 FAS. II. 533. 'MANES' is the general denomination for the spirits of the dead. They were believed to partake, in some degree, of the divine nature, and hence were frequently addressed 'Di Manes 1.' According to Apuleius2, all souls separated from the body were anciently comprehended under the term 'Lemures;' such of these as were beneficent, and watched over the abodes of their descendants with protecting care, were called Lares ;' unhappy wandering ghosts who terrified the good were known as 'Larvae;' while the name 'Manes' was applied to those whose condition was uncertain3. These distinctions, if they ever existed in the popular creed, were certainly not generally observed by the poets, many of whom use the word 'Manes' for departed spirits without limitation, while both Lemures' and 'Larvae' denote spectres and hobgoblins; thus Hor. Ep. 2. 2, 208, Somnia, terrores magicos, miracula, sagas, Nocturnos Lemures, portentaque Thessala rides ?' 1 Generally expressed in sepulchral inscriptions by the abbreviation D. M. 'Dis Manibus,' or D. M. S. 'Dis Manibus Sacrum.' 2 De Deo Socratis. 3 August. de Civ. Dei, II. 9, thus expresses the opinion of Plato: Dicit quidem et animas hominum daemones esse, et ex hominibus fieri Lares, si boni meriti sunt: Lemures si mali, seu Larvas: Manes autem deos dici, si incertum est bonorum eos, seu malorum esse meritorum.' Pers. S. 5. 185, 'Tunc nigri Lemures, ovoque pericula rupto;' Plaut. Aul. 4. 4, 15, 'Larvae hunc atque intemperiae insaniaeque agitant senem.' And again, Capt. 3. 4, 66, "Iam deliramenta loquitur: Larvae stimulant virum.' While by Ovid, as will be seen below, Manes' and 'Lemures' are considered synonymous. It appears from this and the following Extract, that two festivals were celebrated annually in honour of departed spirits; one of these was in February, and continued for more than a single day, the last day of the solemnities being called the Feralia.' With regard to the etymology of the word we find in line 37 'Hanc quia iusta ferunt, dixere Feralia lucem : Vltima placandis Manibus illa dies,' to which we ought to add the observations of Varro and Festus : ' Feralia ab inferis et ferendo, quod ferunt tum epulas ad sepulcrum, quibus ius parentare 1.' 'Feralia, Diis Manibus sacrata festa, a ferendis epulis, vel a feriendis pecudibus appellata 2.' With regard to the second festival, see notes to the next Extract. ST honor et tumulis. Animas placate paternas, ES Parvaque in exstinctas munera ferte pyras. Parva petunt Manes. Pietas pro divite grata est Inque mero mollita Ceres, violaeque solutae, Nec maiora veto: sed et his placabilis umbra est; Hunc morem Aeneas, pietatis idoneus auctor, 1 Varro L. L. 6. 3. 2 Festus in verb. 5 ΙΟ Ille patris Genio sollemnia dona ferebat; Hinc populi ritus edidicere pios. At quondam, dum longa gerunt pugnacibus armis 15 Non impune fuit. Nam dicitur omine ab isto Vix equidem credo: bustis exisse feruntur, Nec tibi, quae cupidae matura videbere matri, 20 25 Conde tuas, Hymenaee, faces, et ab ignibus atris 30 Nec tamen haec ultra, quam tot de mense supersint 35 40 |