ancient Roman religion Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the Roman people, people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule. The Romans thought of themselves as high ...

, Strenua or Strenia was a goddess of the new year, purification, and wellbeing. She had a shrine ''(

sacellum A ''sacellum'' is a small shrine in ancient Roman religious contexts. The word is a diminutive of ''sacrum'' (neuter of ''sacer'', "belonging to a god"). The numerous ''sacella'' of ancient Rome included both shrines maintained on private proper ...

)'' and grove ''(

lucus In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion, a ''lucus'' (, plural ''lucī'') is a sacred grove. was one of four Latin words meaning in general "forest, woodland, grove" (along with , , and ), but unlike the others it was primarily us ...

)'' at the top of the

Via Sacra The Via Sacra (, "''Sacred Street''") was the main street of ancient Rome, leading from the top of the Capitoline Hill, through some of the most important religious sites of the Forum (where it is the widest street), to the Colosseum. The road ...

. Varro said she was a

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

goddess. W.H. Roscher includes her among the '' indigitamenta'', the lists of Roman deities maintained by priests to assure that the correct divinity was invoked in public rituals. The procession of the

Argei The rituals of the Argei were archaic religious observances in ancient Rome that took place on March 16 and March 17, and again on May 14 or May 15. By the time of Augustus, the meaning of these rituals had become obscure even to those who p ...

began at her shrine. On January 1, twigs from Strenua's grove were carried in a procession to the citadel ''(arx)''. The rite is first noted as occurring on New Year's Day in 153 BC, the year when

consuls A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

first began assuming their office at the beginning of the year. It is unclear whether it had always been held on that date or had been transferred that year from another place on the

calendar A calendar is a system of organizing days. This is done by giving names to periods of time, typically days, weeks, months and years. A calendar date, date is the designation of a single and specific day within such a system. A calendar is ...

, perhaps the original New Year's Day on March 1. The name ''Strenia'' was said to be the origin of the word ''strenae'' (preserved in French '' étrennes'' and Italian '' strenne''), the new-year gifts Romans exchanged as good omens in an extension of the public rite:

From almost the beginning of
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...
' city the custom of New Year's gifts ''(strenae)'' prevailed on account of the precedent of king Tatius who was the first to reckon the holy branches ''(verbenae)'' of a fertile tree ''( arbor felix)'' in Strenia's grove as the auspicious signs of the new year."

During the

Principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...

, these ''strenae'' often took the form of money.

Johannes Lydus John the Lydian or John Lydus (; ) ( AD 490 – 565) was a Byzantine administrator and writer. He is considered a key figure in antiquarian studies from the fourth to the sixth century A.D. Although he is a secondary author, his works are signific ...

says that ''strenae'' was a Sabine word for wellbeing or welfare ''(

hygieia Hygieia is a goddess from Greek mythology (more commonly spelled Hygeia, sometimes Hygiea; ; or , or ). Hygieia is a goddess of health ( – ''hugieia''), cleanliness and hygiene. Her name is the source for the word "hygiene". Hygieia devel ...

,'' Latin '' salus''). The supposed Sabine etymology may or may not be factual, but expresses the Sabine ethnicity of Tatius. St. Augustine says that Strenia was the goddess who made a person ''strenuus,'' "vigorous, strong." According to some scholars the

Befana In Italian folklore and folk customs, the Befana () is a witch-like old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5) in a similar way to Santa Claus or the Three Magi.Illes, Judika. ''Encyclope ...

tradition is derived by the Strenua cult. In the book ''Vestiges of Ancient Manners and Customs, Discoverable in Modern Italy and Sicily'' by Rev. John J. Blunt (John Murray, 1823), the author says:

"This Befana appears to be heir at law of a certain heathen goddess called Strenia, who presided over the new-year's gifts, 'Strenae,' from which, indeed, she derived her name.Augustine, ''De Civitate Dei'', iv.16 Her presents were of the same description as those of the Befana—figs, dates, and honey. Moreover her solemnities were vigorously opposed by the early Christians on account of their noisy, riotous, and licentious character".Vide Rosini, ed. Dempster. lib. i. c.13, de Dea Strenia, p. 120

References

{{Reflist Roman goddesses