Flora ( la, Flōra) is a
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
goddess of flowers and of the season of
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...
– a symbol for nature and flowers (especially the may-flower). While she was otherwise a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology, being one among several
fertility goddesses, her association with the spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime, as did her role as goddess of youth. She was one of the fifteen deities who had their own
flamen, the ''Floralis'', one of the ''
flamines minores''. Her
Greek counterpart is
Chloris
In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different char ...
.
Etymology
The name ''Flōra'' descends from
Proto-Italic ''*flōsā'' ('goddess of flowers'), itself a derivation from Proto-Italic ''*flōs'' ('flower'; cf.
Latin ''flōs'', ''flōris'' 'blossom, flower'). It is
cognate with the
Oscan
Oscan is an extinct Indo-European language of southern Italy. The language is in the Osco-Umbrian or Sabellic branch of the Italic languages. Oscan is therefore a close relative of Umbrian.
Oscan was spoken by a number of tribes, including t ...
goddess of flowers ''Fluusa'', demonstrating that the cult was known more widely among
Italic peoples. The name ultimately derives from
Proto-Indo-European ''*bʰleh₃ōs'' ('blossoming').
Festival
Her festival, the ''
Floralia'', was held between April 28 and May 3 and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, drinking, and flowers.
The festival was first instituted in 240 B.C.E, and on the advice of the
Sibylline books, she was also given
a temple in 238 B.C.E. At the festival, with the men decked in flowers, and the women wearing normally forbidden gay costumes, five days of farces and mimes were enacted –
ithyphallic
A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic.
Any object that symbolically—or, more precisely ...
, and including nudity when called for – followed by a sixth day of the hunting of goats and hares.
[H. Nettleship ed., ''A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities'' (1891) p. 238] On May 23 another (rose) festival was held in her honor.
Flora's
Greek equivalent is
Chloris
In Greek mythology, the name Chloris (; Greek Χλωρίς ''Chlōrís'', from χλωρός ''chlōrós'', meaning "greenish-yellow", "pale green", "pale", "pallid", or "fresh") appears in a variety of contexts. Some clearly refer to different char ...
, who was a nymph. Flora is married to
Favonius, the wind god also known as Zephyr, and her companion was
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the Gr ...
.
Flora achieved more prominence in the neo-pagan revival of Antiquity among
Renaissance humanists
Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry.
The meaning of the term "human ...
than she had ever enjoyed in ancient Rome.
Music
Flora is the main character of the ballet ''
The Awakening of Flora
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
''. She is also mentioned in
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell (, rare: September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer.
Purcell's style of Baroque music was uniquely English, although it incorporated Italian and French elements. Generally considered among the greatest E ...
's
Nymphs and Shepherds
Nymphs and Shepherds is a song by the English composer Henry Purcell, from the play ''The Libertine'' by Thomas Shadwell. When the play was first performed, in 1675, the accompanying music was by William Turner. Purcell's music was first used ...
.
Sculpture
There are many monuments to Flora, for example in
Rome (Italy),
Valencia (Spain), and
Szczecin (Poland).
In art
File:Carthage(js)5.jpg, Ancient Roman mosaic of Flora in the Carthage National Museum
Carthage National Museum is a national museum in Byrsa, Tunisia. Along with the Bardo National Museum, it is one of the two main local archaeological museums in the region. The edifice sits atop Byrsa Hill, in the heart of the city of Carthage ...
File:INC-3004-a Ауреус. Ок. 43—39 гг. до н. э. Монетарий Клодий Весталий (аверс).png, Flora on a gold aureus
The ''aureus'' ( ''aurei'', 'golden', used as a noun) was a gold coin of ancient Rome originally valued at 25 pure silver ''denarii'' (sin. denarius). The ''aureus'' was regularly issued from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th cen ...
of 43–39 BCE
File:Primavera 04.jpg, Detail of Flora from '' Primavera'' by Botticelli
Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi ( – May 17, 1510), known as Sandro Botticelli (, ), was an Italian painter of the Early Renaissance. Botticelli's posthumous reputation suffered until the late 19th century, when he was rediscovered ...
, c. 1482
File:Flora, por Tiziano.jpg, Flora by Titian, 1515
File:1520 Veneto Idealbildnis einer Kurtisane als Flora anagoria.JPG, Idealized Portrait of a Courtesan as Flora by Bartolomeo Veneto
Bartolomeo Veneto (active 1502–31) was an Italian painter who worked in Venice, the Veneto (the mainland), and Lombardy. During his time in Venice, he studied under Gentile Bellini. The little information available about Bartolomeo's life ...
, c. 1520
File:Francesco Melzi 002a.jpg, Flora
Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring ( indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or ''skin flora''.
...
by Francesco Melzi, c. 1520
File:Jan Brueghel the Elder & Peter Paul Rubens - Flora and Zephyr, 1617.jpg, Flora and Zephyr, by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Peter Paul Rubens, 1617
File:Claude Vignon - Flora - WGA25093.jpg, Flora by Claude Vignon
Claude Vignon (19 May 1593 – 10 May 1670) was a French painter, printmaker and illustrator who worked in a wide range of genres.Paola Pacht Bassani. "Vignon, Claude." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford University Press. Web. 2 November ...
, 1650
File:Rembrandt, Flora, circa 1654, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.jpg, Flora by Rembrandt
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (, ; 15 July 1606 – 4 October 1669), usually simply known as Rembrandt, was a Dutch Golden Age painter, printmaker and draughtsman. An innovative and prolific master in three media, he is generally consi ...
, 1654
File:Flora (Museum of Bordeaux).jpg, Flora or Hebe by Alexander Roslin
Alexander Roslin (spelled Alexandre in French, ; 15 July 17185 July 1793) was a Swedish portrait painter who worked in Scania, Bayreuth, Paris, Italy, Warsaw and St. Petersburg, primarily for members of aristocratic families. He combined insightf ...
, 18th century
File:Flora By Valentine Bromley.jpg, Flora by Valentine Walter Bromley, 1874
File:Keller, Ferdinand - Flora - 1883.jpg, Flora by Ferdinand Keller, 1883
File:Mosè Bianchi Flora.jpg, Flora by Mosè Bianchi
Mosè Bianchi (1840–1904) was an Italian painter and printmaker.
Biography
Bianchi was born in Monza. His family moved to Milan and he enrolled at the Brera Academy. Having interrupted his studies to serve in the second war of independence, he ...
1890
See also
*
Abundantia
In ancient Roman religion, Abundantia (), also called Abundita or Copia, was a divine personification of abundance and prosperity. The name Abundantia means plenty or riches. This name is fitting as Abundantia was a goddess of abundance, money-flo ...
*
Feronia Feronia may mean:
* Feronia (mythology), a goddess of fertility in Roman and Etruscan mythology
* ''Feronia'' (plant), a genus of plants
* Feronia Inc., a plantations company operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Feronia (Sardinia) ...
*
Flora Fountain
Flora Fountain is a Fountain located at the Hutatma Chowk is an ornamentally sculpted architectural heritage monument located at the southern end of the historic Dadabhai Naoroji Road, at the Fort business district in the heart of South Mumb ...
*
Fauna
*
Nymph
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label=Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are typ ...
*
Pomona
*
8 Flora
Flora ( minor planet designation: 8 Flora) is a large, bright main-belt asteroid. It is the innermost ''large'' asteroid: no asteroid closer to the Sun has a diameter above 25 kilometres (20% that of Flora), and not until 20-km 149 Medusa was di ...
References
Bibliography
*
Primary
* Ovid, ''Fasti'' V.193-212
* Macrobius, ''Saturnalia'' I.10.11-14
* Lactantius, ''Divinae institutions'' I.20.6-10
External links
*
*
*
The Obscure Goddess Online Directory: Flora{{Authority control
Roman goddesses
Fertility goddesses
Spring deities
Nature goddesses
Italic deities