On This Day In Roman History, January 26
Roman citizens celebrate the Sementivae, a feriae conceptivae of sowing commonly celebrated on January 26. This holiday was usually celebrated between January 24-26, but sometimes as early as the 22nd. The date would be decided by quotannis a magistratibus vel sacerdotibus concipiuntur, which was a magistrate or priest. Marcus Terentius Varro, a Roman scholar, describes feriae as "days instituted for the sake of the gods." It was not uncommon for things like public and private business to be suspended on these days. Tradition dictated that the Rex sacrorum, or the presiding priest, was not even allowed to view work being done. For this specific festival, the honoring of Ceres (the goddess of agriculture) and Tellus (Mother Earth) took place. Tellus was honored usually between the dates of January 24 - 26, and Ceres a week later on February 2.
Did you know?
Tellus, or Tellus Mater, is one of the di selecti. This means the goddess belonged to the set of twenty principle gods. She was also one of the twelve agricultural gods of Rome, most associated with Ceres. The Temple of Tellus was situated on the Carinae, which is located on the western end of the Esquiline hill in Rome.
Pictured: Detail from a sarcophagus depicting a Mother Earth figure (3rd century AD), via Wikimedia Commons. Allegory of Mother Earth, detail of the front of a sarcophagus with the triumph of Dionysos and the Seasons.
Tellus is most commonly depicted with a cornucopia, also found usually in a reclined position. Sometimes she is found holding bushels of fruits or flowers. Varro identifies Terra Mater here, quoted: "Not without cause was the Earth (Terra) called Mater and Ceres. It was believed that those who cultivated her led a pious and useful life (piam et utilem ... vitam), and that they were the sole survivors from the line of King Saturn." The word tellus is also a Latin noun for "land, territory; earth,"
Opinion
Welcome to my daily opinion! I love seeing how often in science fiction and pop-culture the terms Terra, or Terra Mater are used to describe Earth. The Latin etymology of this is alive and well today and can be seen in places ranging from Philip K. Dick's short stories, the Warhammer 40k universe, and Star Trek. These festivals, however, would appear much stranger to us in modern times, mostly due to all the sacrificial offerings. As awful as this is, some agriculture sacrifices like that mentioned above require the sacrifice of a puppy. I believe God gave us two hands, one for petting dogs and the other for petting dogs, so this one really hurt to read. On a more positive note, I implore today's reader to go look up some more images and depictions of Tellus, they are striking and beautiful.
Sources
Forsythe, G. (2012). Time in Roman religion: one thousand years of religious history. New York: Routledge.
Scullard, H. H. (1981). Festivals and ceremonies of the Roman Republic. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
V. (1951). Varro. on the latin language: Books VIII-X, fragments. Cambridge: Harvard university press.
Further Readin:
Special Thanks: Michael Houghan
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