29:
256:, part of the ritual (before the procession around the lake) was the washing of hair and dressing it with flowers. It is a day of rest for women and slaves. Hounds are also honored and dressed with blossoms. Travelers between the north and south banks of the lake were carried in small boats lit by lanterns. Similar lamps were used by
316:
on August 15. Scholars such as C.M. Green, James Frazer, and others have noted parallels between these feast days and have speculated that the early
Catholic Church may have adapted not only the dates but the symbolism from the Nemoralia. It is possible that, as originally celebrated, the Nemoralia
168:
It is the season when the most scorching region of the heavens takes over the land and the keen dog-star Sirius, so often struck by
Hyperion's sun, burns the gasping fields. Now is the day when Trivia's Arician grove, convenient for fugitive kings, grows smoky, and the lake, having guilty knowledge
188:
The hunting dogs were particularly important symbols of the celebration. They symbolize Diana's guardianship of those in her care, and garlanded, they join in the celebration rather than in the hunt, so that no hunting can take place. This represents the protection of Diana being extended to all.
287:
Requests and offerings to Diana may include small baked clay or bread statuettes of body parts in need of healing; small clay images of mother and child; tiny sculptures of stags; dance and song; and fruit such as apples. In addition, offerings of garlic are made to the
Goddess of the Dark Moon,
147:
on the Ides of August, a date which coincides with the traditional founding date celebrated at Aricia. The origins of the festival probably pre-date the spread of Diana's worship to Rome in the 3rd century BCE, and may extend to the 6th century BCE or earlier. Records from the 1st century BCE
413:
169:
of
Hippolytus, glitters with the reflection of a multitude of torches; Diana herself garlands the deserving hunting dogs and polishes the arrowheads and allows the wild animals to go in safety, and at virtuous hearths all Italy celebrates the Hecatean Ides. (Statius
411:
252:(the name Nemi, from the Latin nemus, means a sacred wood or sacred grove), also known as Diana's Mirror. Hundreds join together at the lake, wearing wreaths of flowers. According to
197:, a refuge from murder, pollution, madness, and death. The 21st century historian C.M.C. Green noted that "bearing a torch in the procession to the shrine was to flee the
148:
describe worshipers traveling to the sanctuary carrying torches and garlands. Diana's festival eventually became widely celebrated throughout Italy, including at the
189:
Statius also emphasizes the importance of refuge to the worship of Diana, whose sanctuaries offered refuge to freed or escaped slaves, and in the myths of
28:
447:
321:, followed by her ascent as queen of heaven and the full moon on the third day. Similar celebrations were recognized in the ancient world involving both
185:) imagery. He also suggested, by the garlanding of the dogs and polishing of the spears, that no hunting was allowed during the festival.
440:
364:
Ovid, Fasti, trans. James George Frazer, Loeb
Classical Library (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1931), 3:259-275.
433:
835:
845:
406:
See also W. Warde Fowler, The Roman
Festivals of the period of the Republic, MacMillan (New York, 1899) – see
267:, did not attend the festival, but observed it from the periphery as indicated in these words to his beloved:
115:(also known as the Festival of Torches or Hecatean Ides) is a three-day festival originally celebrated by the
373:
Anguelova, V. N. (2011). The Sound of
Silence: Sacred Place in Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Devotional Art.
840:
309:
190:
855:
850:
127:, it soon became more widely celebrated. The Catholic Church may have adapted the Nemoralia as the
53:
201:-laden world and to take refuge in the eternal world of the sacred, cool, shady, and nurturing."
149:
769:
75:
Lighting candles and torches, wearing garlands and wreaths, making prayers and offerings to
724:
8:
248:
On this day, worshipers formed a procession of torches and candles around the waters of
79:
by tying prayer ribbons and leaving tokens near bodies of water and other sacred places.
860:
814:
744:
619:
313:
305:
177:
Statius celebrated the triple nature of the goddess by invoking heavenly (the dog-star
128:
103:
312:, a mythological figure heavily associated with Diana) on August 13, and the feast of
120:
76:
634:
599:
514:
425:
140:
124:
292:, during the festival. Hunting or killing of any beast is forbidden on Nemoralia.
674:
456:
417:
301:
57:
614:
257:
116:
829:
764:
749:
689:
317:
celebrated a descent of Diana into the underworld in search of
Hippolytus or
34:
The
Syracusan Bride leading Wild Animals in Procession to the Temple of Diana
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759:
714:
659:
649:
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719:
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639:
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in Rome, which was unusual given the provincial nature of Diana's cult.
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754:
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729:
709:
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654:
644:
609:
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589:
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539:
519:
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479:
264:
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734:
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544:
484:
350:
Transactions and
Proceedings of the American Philological Association
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794:
579:
564:
534:
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253:
804:
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554:
322:
318:
194:
161:
144:
569:
289:
182:
178:
489:
119:
on the Ides of August (August 13–15) in honor of the goddess
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326:
210:
277:
When I see you hurrying in excitement with a burning torch
123:. Although the Nemoralia was originally celebrated at the
308:(a supposed 3rd century CE martyr who shares a name with
244:
There a stream flows down gurgling from its rocky bed..."
260:
and have been found with images of the goddess at Nemi.
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The three-day festival of Nemoralia corresponds to the
271:"Ah, if you would only walk here in your leisure hours.
455:
295:
226:On a long fence hang many pieces of woven thread,
223:Held sacred by a religion from the olden times...
827:
389:
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385:
383:
381:
379:
235:Often does a woman whose prayers Diana answered,
348:Gordon, A.E. (1932). "On the Origin of Diana",
395:Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia
181:), earthly (the grove itself) and underworld (
441:
376:
220:there is a lake surrounded by shady forests,
283:Bear light in honour of the Goddess Diana."
238:With a wreath of flowers crowning her head,
139:A festival to Diana was held yearly at her
448:
434:
241:Walk from Rome carrying a burning torch...
344:
342:
329:, with whom Diana was often identified.
397:. New York: Cambridge University Press.
209:In the 1st century BCE, the Roman poet
828:
429:
339:
150:Temple of Diana on the Aventine Hill
16:Festival of Torches or Hecatean Ides
13:
14:
872:
296:Influence on Christian feast days
232:as grateful gifts to the Goddess.
229:and many tablets are placed there
36:by Lord Frederick Leighton, 1866.
27:
125:Sanctuary of Diana at Lake Nemi
400:
367:
358:
280:To the grove of Nemi where you
1:
332:
204:
155:
7:
213:described the celebration:
104:The Feast of the Assumption
10:
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355:(1932, pp. 177-192) p 178.
134:
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274:But we cannot meet today,
263:One 1st century CE poet,
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91:
83:
71:
63:
49:
41:
26:
21:
217:"In the Arrician valley,
160:The 1st century CE poet
836:Ancient Roman festivals
164:wrote of the festival:
129:Feast of the Assumption
393:Green, C.M.C. (2007).
846:Modern pagan holidays
725:Quinquennial Neronia
141:Shrine at Lake Nemi
67:Seasonal, religious
45:Festival of Torches
841:August observances
416:2012-06-24 at the
314:Assumption of Mary
306:Hippolytus of Rome
856:Diana (mythology)
823:
822:
109:
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54:Roman Polytheists
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851:Summer festivals
635:Ludi Apollinares
600:Ieiunium Cereris
515:Capitoline Games
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258:Vestal virgins
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35:
30:
25:
20:
785:Tubilustrium
760:Septimontium
679:
660:Meditrinalia
650:Lusus Troiae
560:Epulum Jovis
495:Armilustrium
462:
410:, 198-202:
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402:
394:
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286:
262:
247:
208:
198:
187:
176:
170:
159:
138:
112:
110:
72:Celebrations
33:
810:Volturnalia
780:Tricennalia
775:Tiberinalia
720:Quinquatria
695:Opiconsivia
640:Ludi Romani
530:Carmentalia
505:Bacchanalia
42:Also called
830:Categories
815:Vulcanalia
800:Vicennalia
770:Terminalia
755:Sementivae
740:Saturnalia
730:Regifugium
710:Poplifugia
700:Parentalia
685:Neptunalia
670:Mercuralia
655:Matronalia
645:Lupercalia
610:Larentalia
595:Furrinalia
590:Fornacalia
585:Fordicidia
550:Decennalia
540:Compitalia
520:Caprotinia
500:Augustalia
480:Ambarvalia
333:References
310:Hippolytus
265:Propertius
205:Observance
191:Hippolytus
173:3.I.52-60)
861:Lake Nemi
790:Veneralia
735:Robigalia
680:Nemoralia
665:Megalesia
625:Liberalia
605:Junonalia
545:Consualia
485:Amburbium
250:Lake Nemi
156:Symbolism
113:Nemoralia
95:15 August
87:13 August
58:Neopagans
22:Nemoralia
795:Vestalia
580:Floralia
565:Equirria
535:Cerealia
525:Caristia
510:Brumalia
475:Agonalia
414:Archived
302:Catholic
254:Plutarch
199:thanatos
183:Hecatean
805:Vinalia
745:Rosalia
705:Parilia
630:Lucaria
620:Lemuria
575:Feralia
555:Divalia
323:Demeter
319:Virbius
195:Orestes
162:Statius
145:Ariccia
135:History
570:Februa
463:(ludi)
461:games
290:Hecate
179:Sirius
84:Begins
490:Argei
171:Silv.
143:near
121:Diana
77:Diana
459:and
327:Isis
325:and
211:Ovid
193:and
111:The
92:Ends
64:Type
832::
378:^
353:63
341:^
131:.
56:,
449:e
442:t
435:v
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