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Pontifex Cn. Lentulus prays at a home lararium at the reconstructed Roman villa of the Carnuntum Museum

These are modern rituals for cultores of the religio Romana to perform daily at their lararium. These rituals below are based on the prayers found in Cato's De Agricultura and various prayers found on imperial era inscriptions (for example, the Acta Ludorum Saecularium). The rituals should be performed; if possible, in a clean tunica and toga for males, for females in tunica, stola and palla. The toga or palla should be draped capite velato, so as to veil the performer from any and all ill omens that might present themselves in the course of the ritual. It is acceptable to perform this ritual in a more casual manner, without toga and in a cloak instead (e. g. lacerna), or even just in tunica, or even in modern clothes.

You may find more information on household worship in our article on simple rituals for starters.

Opening of the daily rituals

• If others attend, say the following opening expression, but if you pray alone, it is not needed:

Be favorable by your tongues!

Favete linguis!

• Wash both hands in clean salted water and say:

Father Janus, be blessed.

Iane pater, macte esto.

• Approach the lararium capite velato, ignite the fire on your lararium, for example a lucerna, then say:

Mother Vesta, be blessed.

Vesta mater, macte esto.

• Perform the adoratio, then you can start the invocations and prayers.

Closing of the daily rituals

• Extinguish the fire on your lararium, and say:

Mother Vesta, be blessed.

Vesta Mater, macte esto.

Father Janus, be blessed.

Iane pater, macte esto.

• This is the end of the ritual. Perform the adoratio, and if others attend, say the following closing expression, but if you pray alone, it is not needed:

You can go!

Ilicet!

Shortened rituals

Shortened morning ritual

Shortened evening ritual

The evening ritual should be performed only if you have already done a standalone (or midday) ritual, or if you specifically want to ask the gods' protection for the night. Otherwise, if your first prayer that day is made in the evening, use the standalone ritual.

Shortened standalone ritual, or midday ritual, without morning and evening rites

This ritual should be performed if you can do only one domestic ritual on a specific day, and you don't do a separate morning and night ritual that day. If, in the evening, you get a chance to perform the evening ritual, you are free to do that, too: this standalone or midday ritual doesn't inhibit the possibility for performing either or both the morning and the evening rituals, as well. If you want to do morning ritual but you are late and it is already afternoon, you should do this midday ritual instead of the morning ritual.

Full length rituals

Morning ritual

Evening ritual

The evening ritual should be performed only if you have already done a standalone (or midday) ritual, or if you specifically want to ask the gods' protection for the night. Otherwise, if your first prayer that day is made in the evening, use the standalone ritual.

Standalone ritual, or midday ritual, without morning and evening rites

This ritual should be performed if you can do only one domestic ritual on a specific day, and you don't do a separate morning and night ritual that day. If, in the evening, you get a chance to perform the evening ritual, you are free to do that, too: this standalone or midday ritual doesn't inhibit the possibility for performing either or both the morning and the evening rituals, as well. If you want to do morning ritual but you are late and it is already afternoon, you should do this midday ritual instead of the morning ritual.