Opening Ceremony ~ Ludi Lupercales 2761 AUC (Nova Roma)

The following opening ceremony has just begun in Cadomagus, Gallia, at 11:45 Rome time, on this Feb. 15th. Aed. cur. Memmius was in the center of recently excavated ancient Aregenua's forum, capital of Viducassia civitas. Standing before a screen bearing Nova Roma's flag, Memmius was wearing his curule clothes. He turned towards Rome not any civis, from East, West, South or North, feel excluded.

The Speech to the Quirites

"Quirites !

Memory day, rebirth day : here are arising our Lupercalia days !

You sure remember how important are these Lupercales days : these are the ones to remember us our Founders Twins, Remus and Romulus, and how they have been protected by their Mother Wolf.

As our Lupercalenses aedilician page reminds us, Lupercalia offers a special ritual, a purification and fertility one. For Lupercalia begins on Idus Febr., the closest ides before what was the beginning of the year, March.

So Lupercalis festival may be considered at both time as the celebration of a dying year, and the birth of a new one, materialized, for example, by the laugh of the two young men who had the honor being purified by the Lupercus pontifex.

Milk and cattles helped Rome, as ancient Gaul gods did, to be fertilized, through Its women. This is the general meaning of the Lupercalis race, where both young men were to whip, with leather straps, every Roman woman, specially the ones who wished to have a child.

In this special 2761 a.u.c. year, which is Nova Roma 10th birthday year, our Lupercalia have a second and special meaning : a story that speaks on death and life, on forgetting and rebirth.

So let us, in our February 15th busy day, reserve a few minutes just to remind this, to think about all centuries passed since the Twins, all the generations born and dead, and on the flame of Rome that is still burning inside the Vestals temple of Nova Roma.

This is why we have wished, us aediles curules, to propose you, Quirites, an extra Ludi calendar for this 2761/2008, and, to underline both Rome continuity and rebirth, to open this calendar with Lupercalia and these Lupercale(nse) s games."

Aed. cur. Memmius observed twelve seconds of silence, one for every month of the year, and retired behind the screen. Then the aedile came back, wearing now his toga praetexta. He turned again towards Rome.

The Opening Ceremony

"Quirites !

I, Publius Memmius Albucius, for myself and on the behalf of my colleague S. Lucilius Tutor, in the frame of the powers that our curule magistracy give us, specially for the organization of Ludi (public games), humbly ask you to join us and our Consuls, Magistrates and our whole Senate, to pray, with the support of our Colleges of Priests and other religious officers, our Gods.

Look, Quirites, a sudden bright interval is occurring! This is good omen!

I have, at dawn, at seven in our solar time, bowed towards the shrines of our Gods and Goddesses.

Please now keep all of you, in the secret of your mind, or in the assigned places of our temples and in your homes, in the place you are working currently, please keep during this day a thought for Faunus, who looks for fertility, along with Quirinus. Please also honor Juno Lucina, who is bringing us the present light of a renewing year and will protect our future matres and matronae.

Please keep Jupiter his whole place, which is specially to care the efforts of every god and goddess, to balance them, to mind that Lupercus and Mater Wolf be equally considered, and that every contribution may help Roma dea come to birth again, though Its community and Its women.

Please, Gods, give us the strenght to help us, Romans, bury the dying year and celebrate, in the huge laugh of life, this arising year, which is 10th Nova Roma's one! Give us the energy to face the external dangers and to set up the internal disputes! Please Gods, give us again Concordia's support to help us in this last task!

Quirinus, please allow a long life to Fabia gens and families, a long life to Quinctilia's!

Please Dius Pater ask all relevant Gods and Goddesses to sustain the efforts of every Novaroman who will assist or take part in our Ludi Lupercalenses! May the hands be firm, the mind clear and the decisions quick! May the animals deserve their owner, may the gladiators not refuse danger, and may our factiones distinguished themselves! Give them, Mars, honor and force! May our writers and poets be inspired, Minerva, watch on them!

Last may you, Faunus, Iuno et Jupiter, with Mater Roma, and you all Gods, forgive, during our Lupercalia games, our faults, mistakes, and mean human behaviors : they will just underline how great you are, and how tiny we are remaining, in your hand.

And last, allow me as aedilis curulis, and Lucilius, to humbly declare our Ludi Lupercalenses open.

Quirites, I declare our Ludi Lupercalenses open !"

End of the ceremony in Cadomagus, Gallia, at 12:15 Rome time, on this Feb. 15th. Aed. cur. Memmius has retired behind the screen.

Have good Lupercalia every one!!!

For curule aedilitas,

P. Memmius Albucius aed. cur.