The Consualia or ''Consuales
Ludi'' was the name of two
ancient Roman festivals in honor of
Consus, a
tutelary deity of the harvest and stored grain. ''Consuales Ludi''
harvest festivals were held on August 21,
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ...
. "Life if Romulus", in '' Plutarch's Lives,'' trans. Aubrey Stewart and George Long. London and New York: George Bell and Sons, 1894
XV
/ref> and again on December 15, in connection with grain storage. The shrine of Consus was underground, it was covered with earth all year and was only uncovered for this one day. Mars, the god of war, as a protector of the harvest, was also honored on this day, as were the Lares, the household gods that individual families held sacred.
During the celebration horses, mules, and asses were exempted from all labour, and were led through the streets adorned with garlands and flowers. Chariot
A chariot is a type of cart driven by a charioteer, usually using horses to provide rapid motive power. The oldest known chariots have been found in burials of the Sintashta culture in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, dated to c. 2000&nb ...
races were held this day in the Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus ( Latin for "largest circus"; Italian: ''Circo Massimo'') is an ancient Roman chariot-racing stadium and mass entertainment venue in Rome, Italy. In the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and ...
, which included an odd race in which chariots were pulled by mules.
In Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans. One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore, ''Roman mythology'' may also refer to the modern study of these represent ...
, the Consualia was founded by Romulus as an occasion to gather his Sabine neighbors.Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...
. '' The History of Rome by Titus Livius: The First Eight Books'', trans. D. Spillan. London: Henry G. Bohn, 1853.Livy
Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding in ...
,
References
Sources
*H. H. Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'' (London: Thames and Hudson, 1981), 177–8, 181, 205, 207.
Ancient chariot racing
Ancient Roman festivals
July observances
August observances
December observances
Equestrian festivals
Summer holidays (Northern Hemisphere)
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