Propositum pontificibus de feriis et ludis publicis obliganter celebrandis

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PROPOSAL#3

DECRETUM PONTIFICUM DE FERIIS ET LUDIS PUBLICIS OBLIGANTER CELEBRANDIS


The collegium pontificum acknowledges the current limited possibilities of our magistrates and the great number of Roman festivals, religious games (ludi) and holidays which exceed what they could duly celebrate at this stage of development of Nova Roma, therefore the collegium decrees the following about public holidays and their celebrations:


Contents

I. PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

I.A. Ordinary Public Holidays

I.A.1. The public holidays, the feriae publicae, are the dies feriati listed in the official Nova Roman calendar approved and announced by the collegium pontificum.
I.A.1.a. The collegium shall publish the official calendar near to the end of the previous year but no later than on the Kalends of January of the target year.
I.A.1.b. If the collegium does not publish a new calendar for a year, the calendar of the previous year shall remain in force until a new decree on the calendar is published, with the logical and automatic adjustments or modifications for a leap year or the calculation of the Nundinae as they continue counted from the last year.
I.A.2. The feriae publicae listed in the official pontifical calendar include public holidays that are recommended and suggested to be celebrated according to ancient Roman religious law and tradition, and holidays of obligation that are obligatorily required to be celebrated with public ceremonies, games, rituals and sacrifices.

I.A.2.a. Public holidays with obligatory celebration

I.A.2.a.i. Celebrated by sacrifice and games
There are holidays which the magistrates of the republic are required to celebrate with public games, rituals and sacrifices.
I.A.2.a.i.1. The games required to be celebrated are listed in Section II.
I.A.2.a.i.2. The required sacrifices accompanied by the games are listed in Section III.
I.A.2.a.ii. Celebrated by sacrifice only
There are holidays which the magistrates of the republic are required to celebrate only with public rituals and sacrifices. These required public rituals and sacrifices without games are listed Section III.

I.A.2.b. Public holidays with optional celebration

Public holidays that are not obligatorily celebrated may all be celebrated optionally, with or without games, or only with sacrifice, by magistrates or priests as described under II.E.1. and III.I.1.

I.B. Extraordinary mandatory public holidays and solemnities

The priests or the senate and the people and their magistrates, under certain conditions described in sections II.E. and III.I., have the right to create extraordinary holidays, with or without games, the feriae imperativae, or other forms of solemnities with public rituals and sacrifice, which are not preset in the calendar and not mandatory until announced. Once they are announced, they become obligatory.

I.B.1. An extraordinary game must always come with an extraordinary sacrifice, since all games are centered around a ritual, but an extraordinary public sacrifice shall not necessarily be accompanied by games.
I.B.1.a. The forms of extraordinary games are listed in Section II.E.2.
I.B.1.b. The forms of extraordinary sacrifices are listed in Section III.I.2.


II. PUBLIC RELIGIOUS GAMES

II.A. Certain holidays shall be celebrated by ludi annui, annual public games, but it is also possible to set up extraordinary games on occasion.

II.B. All public games shall be organized by the magistrates of the republic, either by the aediles, or by the praetores. Other magistrates invested by imperium are also entitled, but not necessarily required, to hold public games.

II.C. In the absence of the organizing magistrate, if the game should have been organized by the aediles curules, the consules, or, in their absence, the praetores, must stand in to organize the games, or if the game should have been organized by the aediles plebis, it shall be organized by the tribuni plebis.

II.D. Ordinary Games

The religious holidays that the magistrates shall obligatorily celebrate with public games, according to 15 years of tradition of Nova Roma, and the types and categories of the public games are the following:

II.D.1. Ludi Annui

Ludi annui are obligatory games that shall be celebrated each year.

II.D.1.a. Ludi Annui Stativi

The ludi annui stativi are the games celebrated each year that have exactly fixed dates on which they shall be celebrated. These are:
II.D.1.a.i. Ludi Novi Romani or Concordiales (or the Nova Romania or Concordialia)
II.D.1.a.i.1. It shall be organized by the aediles curules. In the absence of both the organizing magistrate and the substitute organizers, the consules or praetores, as described in II.C., if there is an interrex already in office, the interrex shall organize the games, if there is no interrex in office, a dictator shall be appointed solely to organize the games.
II.D.1.a.i.2. It shall be presided over, if there is a dictator already in office, by the dictator, if there is no dictator in office or if he is unavailable, by the consules, or, in their absence, by the praetores, or in their absence, if there is an interrex already in office, by the interrex, if there is no interrex in office, by a dictator who shall be appointed solely to the purpose and time period to preside over the games.
II.D.1.a.i.3. The consules, or, in their absence, the praetores, or in their absence, an interrex, or, if there is a dictator in office, a dictator, are always entitled, by issuing an edict, to take over the organization of the ludi Novi Romani from the aediles curules.
II.D.1.a.i.4. It shall last from the Kalends of March (March 1) to the Ides of March (March 10).
II.D.1.a.ii. Ludi Megalenses or Megaleses (or the Megalensia or Megalesia)
II.D.1.a.ii.1. It shall be organized and presided over by the aediles curules.
II.D.1.a.ii.2. It shall last from pr. Non. Apr. (April 4) to a.d. IV Id. Apr. (April 10).
II.D.1.a.iii. Ludi Apollinares (or the Apollinaria)
II.D.1.a.iii.1. It shall be organized and presided over by the praetores.
II.D.1.a.iii.2. It shall last from pr. Non. Quint. (July 6) to a.d. III Id. Quint. (July 13).
II.D.1.a.iv. Ludi Romani or Maximi (or the Romania)
II.D.1.a.iv.1. It shall be organized by the aediles curules. In the absence of both the organizing magistrate and the substitute organizers, the consules or praetores, as described in II.C., if there is an interrex already in office, the interrex shall organize the games, if there is no interrex in office, a dictator shall be appointed solely to organize the games.
II.D.1.a.iv.2. It shall be presided over, if there is a dictator already in office, by the dictator, if there is no dictator in office or if he is unavailable, by the consules, or, in their absence, by the praetores, or in their absence, if there is an interrex already in office, by the interrex, if there is no interrex in office, by a dictator who shall be appointed solely to the purpose and time period to preside over the games.
II.D.1.a.iv.3. The consules, or, in their absence, the praetores, or in their absence, an interrex, or, if there is a dictator in office, a dictator, are always entitled, by issuing an edict, to take over the organization of the ludi Romani from the aediles curules.
II.D.1.a.iv.4. It shall last from the Nones of September (September 9) to a.d. XIII Kal. Oct. (September 19).
II.D.1.a.v. Ludi Plebeii
II.D.1.a.v.1. It shall be organized and presided over by the aediles plebis.
II.D.1.a.v.2. It shall last from a.d. pr. Non. Nov. (November 4.) to a.d. XV Kal. Dec. (November 17.).

II.D.1.b. Ludi Annui Conceptivi

The ludi annui conceptivi are the games celebrated each year that don't have exactly fixed dates on which they shall be celebrated, but may vary from year to year, within a certain time span. The only such game in Nova Roma is the following:
II.D.1.b.i. Ludi Cereales or Ceriales (or the Cerealia or Cerialia)
II.D.1.b.i.1. It shall be organized and presided over by the aediles plebis.
II.D.1.b.i.2. It shall start on a day between pr. Id. Apr. (April 12) to a.d. XIII Kal. Mai. (April 19) and shall last as many days as the aediles plebis deem fit, but it shall include XIII Kal. Mai. (April 19) and its last day shall be no later than a.d. IV Kal. Mai. (April 28). A consideration for determining the starting day is to provide a distance from the ludi Megalenses if the ludi Megalenses were exhaustive, and some days of break would be considered beneficial before the new games start.
II.D.1.b.i.3. It shall be a moveable "ludi annui conceptivi" in Nova Roma (it was not one in ancient Rome, but the exact dates of it are unknown), and the aediles curules, no later than pr. Kal. Apr. (March 31) shall appoint the date of the games each year.

II.D.2. Quinquennalian or Decennalian Games

A subcategory of ludi annui are the games held in every five years on the occasion of the Sacred Year of Concordia. In such a Sacred Year, organizers of the games shall include a special quinquennalian or decennalian thematic into their ludi and create an overarching series of quinquennalian or decennalian ludi, or even include a separate special ludi for the anniversary, called "ludi Quinquennales" or "ludi Decennales" or "ludi Vicennales" and so on.

II.E. Extraordinary Games: Ludi Indicti

Magistrates with imperium and all aediles can announce, organize and preside over a one-time public game they create on a given occasion. The senate or the comitia can also order these magistrates to hold such ludi indicti or decreti. These games are not required by the religious calendar, but, once announced, they are obligatorily celebrated. There can be two types within this category:

II.E.1. Holding a traditional Roman ludi not obligatorily required to held

This game may be organized, and presided over, only by the magistracy which historically held it, and the dates of the game must be within the historical time frames of the ludi.

II.E.2. Setting up an unprecedented new game

There are no restrictions for this type, but none can last longer than 9 days, or 15 days in case of the ludi magni, and none can coincide with a parallelly running other game (it can coincide with a ludi that is not organized or canceled).

II.E.2.a. Ludi Votivi

II.E.2.a.i. Ludi votivi (vowed games) are games vowed to the gods by a magistrate who is allowed to create ludi indicti. Such a game can be vowed for an important cause of the Nova Roman People, for asking the gods to save Nova Roma from a serious emergency or trouble, or to thank them the same, or a highly outstanding success or victory of the Nova Roman People.
II.E.2.a.ii. Ludi votivi can be vowed not only for the current year, but a later year as well, and the same magistracy, not the same person, unless he will again fill that magistracy in that given year, shall organize and preside over that game.

II.E.2.b. Ludi Votivi Magni (or Ludi Magni)

The ludi magni are greater ludi votivi vowed by the consules or praetores, or by a dictator. They may last up to 15 days.


III. PUBLIC SACRIFICES

III.A. All holidays of obligation shall be celebrated by public rituals and sacrifices, but it is also possible to offer extraordinary public sacrifices on occasion.

III.B. Public sacrifices shall be performed by the magistrates of the republic; certain other public sacrifices, not defined by in decretum, shall be performed by the priests of the republic. All magistrates and priests are entitled to perform public sacrifices on behalf of the republic, of the magistrates, and of the senate and people of Nova Roma. The exact sacrificial activities and duties of the priests shall be described in a separate decretum pontificum de officiis sacerdotum. This decretum addresses only the duties of magistrates on public holidays of obligation.

III.C. The comitia, the collegium pontificum, the senate or magistrates may order lower magistrates or the priests of the republic to perform rituals and sacrifices for a public cause.

III.C.1. The exact conditions under which magistrates may order priests to perform rituals shall be described in a separate decretum pontificum de officiis sacerdotum.
III.C.2. A magistrate may not order other magistrates or the priest to perform a ceremony which would be his own duty.

III.D. Requested substitution of the required celebrant magistrate

Magistrates, for private religious reasons or because of inability to perform a ritual, may request, but may not order, any other magistrate or a priestly individual to perform the required ritual in the name of the magistrate. In such a case, the authorized substitute celebrant represents the requesting magistrate and the ritual is considered presided over and offered by the requesting magistrate.

III.D.1. In case of requested substitution, any magistrate can, as authorized celebrant, substitute the required magistrates, not only those that are listed in III.E., but with the exception described in III.F.
III.D.2. The exact procedures and conditions for requesting rituals from priests shall be described in a separate decretum pontificum de officiis sacerdotum.
III.D.3. If all requested magistrates or priests refuse to perform the ceremony, the required celebrant magistrate must perform the ritual in person.

III.E. Mandatory substitution in case of absence of the required celebrant magistrate

I.E.1. In the absence of the magistrate required to perform a ritual, the consules, or praetores, or dictator, or interrex shall mutually substitute for each other or any missing magistrate which is required to do the ritual, with the exception of tribunus plebis or aedilis plebis.
III.E.1.a. A tribunus plebis may only be substituted by an aedilis plebis.
III.E.1.b. An aedilis plebis may only be substituted by a tribunus plebis or an aedilis curulis. The aediles plebis with the tribuni plebis, and the aediles plebis with the aediles curules may mutually substitute each other.
III.E.1.c. An aedilis curulis may also be substituted by a censor.
III.E.2. If the required celebrant magistrate is absent, the magistrates who have the right to substitute the missing magistrate are obliged to substitute the missing celebrant magistrate, and the following order of precedence shall be observed in substitution:
III.E.2.a. The consules shall be substituted, if an interrex or dictator is in office, by the interrex or the dictator, if they are unavailable, or if there is no dictator or interrex in office, by the praetores.
III.E.2.b. The praetores shall be substituted by the consules, or if they are unavailable, by the interrex or the dictator.
III.E.2.c. The substitute celebrant magistrates for other magistrates, except the aedilis plebis and tribunus plebis, shall be assigned from among the possible magistrates by the magistracy with the highest imperium available that time.
III.E.2.d. The substitute celebrant magistrates for the aediles plebis shall be assigned from among the possible magistrates by the tribuni plebis.

III.F. Substitution forbidden

There are certain ceremonies where not all magistrates or priests are entitled to substitute the magistrate who was originally required to perform the ceremony. A magistrate or priest may only substitute the required magistrate if traditional Roman religious law or Nova Roman pontifical law does not explicitly state that a certain ritual may exclusively be performed by just a certain magistracy (such a holiday being the Feriae Latinae, where only a consul, dictator or interrex may personally perform the ritual).

III.G. All other magistrates and priests, who are not required to perform a certain ritual, may also perform a public ritual for the same occasion, holiday or solemnity, but their ritual may only substitute for the required magistrate's ritual if they offer it in the name and with the authorization of the originally required magistrate, as described Section III.D.

III.H. Ordinary Rituals

The holidays that the magistrates shall obligatorily celebrate with public sacrifice, according to 15 years of tradition of Nova Roma, are the following:

III.H.1. Annual Sacrifices on fixed dates

III.H.1.a. Kalendae Ianuariae: Kalends of January (January 1)

III.H.1.a.i. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, shall offer a sacrifice on the Kalends of January (January 1) to Ianus, Iuppiter and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.a.ii. Only the consules, or their substitutes, are required to report (with the text of the prayer) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.b. Concordialia - Nova Romania: Kalends of March (March 1)

III.H.1.b.i. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, shall offer a sacrifice on the Kalends of March (March 1) to Concordia, Mars and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.b.ii. Only the consules, or their substitutes, and the aediles curules are required to report (full description of the ritual with the text of the prayer) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.c. Nova Romania (Closing): Ides of March (March 15)

III.H.1.c.i. The consules and the aediles curules shall offer a sacrifice on the Ides of March (March 15) to Mars and Iuppiter and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.c.ii. The consules, or their substitutes, and the aediles curules are required to report (no detailed description or prayer text are required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.d. Megalensia: pr. Non. Apr. (April 4)

III.H.1.d.i. The aediles curules shall offer a sacrifice on pr. Non. Apr. (April 4) to Magna Mater for the opening of the festival.
III.H.1.d.ii. The aediles curules, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.e. Megalensia (Closing): a.d. IV Id. Apr. (April 10)

III.H.1.e.i. The aediles curules shall offer a sacrifice on a.d. IV Id. Apr. (April 10) to Magna Mater for the closing of the festival.
III.H.1.e.ii. The aediles curules, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.f. Cerealia: a.d. XIII Kal. Mai. (April 19)

III.H.1.f.i. The aediles plebis shall offer a sacrifice on a.d. XIII Kal. Mai. (April 19) to Ceres, Liber and Libera.
III.H.1.f.ii. The aediles plebis, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.g. Parilia: a.d. XI Kal. Mai. (April 21)

III.H.1.g.i. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, shall offer a sacrifice on a.d. XI Kal. Mai. (April 21) to Pales, to Iuppiter, Mars, Quirinus and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.g.ii. Only the consules, or their substitutes, are required to report (full description of the ritual with the text of the prayer) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.h. Apollinaria: pr. Non. Quint. (July 6)

III.H.1.h.i. The urban praetor (the praetor maior) shall offer a sacrifice on pr. Non. Quint. (July 6) to Apollo for the opening of the festival.
III.H.1.h.ii. The praetores, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.i. Apollinaria (Closing): a.d. III Id. Quint. (July 13)

III.H.1.i.i. The urban praetor (the praetor maior) shall offer a sacrifice on a.d. III Id. Quint. (July 13) to Apollo for the closing of the festival.
III.H.1.i.ii. The praetores, or their substitutes, are required to report (no description or prayer text required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.j. Romania: Nones of September (September 9)

III.H.1.j.i. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, shall offer a sacrifice on Nones of September (September 9) Iuppiter Optimus Maximus, Iuno, Minerva, Mars, Quirinus and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.j.ii. Only the consules and aediles curules, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.k. Romania - Epulum Iovis (Principal Day): Ides of September (September 13)

III.H.1.k.i. The consules shall offer a sacrifice on Ides of September (September 13) to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus.
III.H.1.k.ii. The consules, or their substitutes, are required to report (no description of the ritual or prayer text required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.l. Romania (Closing): a.d. XIII Kal. Oct. (September 19)

III.H.1.l.i. The consules and the aediles curules shall offer a sacrifice on a.d. XIII Kal. Oct. (September 19) to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus, Iuno, Minerva, Mars, Quirinus and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day for the closing of the festival.
III.H.1.l.ii. The consules and aediles curules, or their substitutes, are required to report (no description of the ritual or prayer text required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.m. Plebeia: a.d. pr. Non. Nov. (November 4.)

III.H.1.m.i. One of the tribuni plebis and both aediles plebis shall offer a sacrifice a.d. pr. Non. Nov. (November 4.) to Iuppiter, Hercules, Ceres, Liber, Libera and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day of the for the opening of the festival.
III.H.1.m.ii. One of the tribuni plebis and the aediles plebis, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.n. Plebeia - Epulum Iovis: Ides of November (November 13)

III.H.1.n.i. One of the tribuni plebis and both aediles plebis shall offer a sacrifice on the Ides of November (November 13) to Iuppiter.
III.H.1.n..ii. The aediles plebis, or their substitutes, are required to report (a description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.o. Plebeia (Closing): a.d. XV Kal. Dec. (November 17.)

III.H.1.o.i. The aediles plebis shall offer a sacrifice a.d. XV Kal. Dec. (November 17.) to Ceres, Liber, Libera for the closing of the festival.
III.H.1.o.ii. The aediles plebis, or their substitutes, are required to report (no description of the ritual or prayer text required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.1.p. Civilia: pr. Kal. Ian. (December 31)

III.H.1.p.i. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, shall offer a piaculum sacrifice pr. Kal. Ian. (December 31) to Ianus, Iuppiter and other deities of their choice appropriate for the day.
III.H.1.p.ii. Only magistrates with imperium, or their substitutes, are required to report (no description of the ritual or prayer text required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.2. Annual Sacrifices on movable dates

III.H.2.a. Feriae Latinae: April, around April

III.H.2.a.i. It shall be held on any day in April, or as close to April as possible. It is feriae conceptivae, and the consuls, or the substitutes listed IN SECTION XXXX, no later than pr. Kal. Apr. (March 31), shall appoint the day of the ceremony each year, and the consules shall offer a sacrifice to Iuppiter Latiaris.
III.H.2.a.ii. If there is dictator in office, the dictator shall perform the ceremony, if there is no dictator in office or if he is unavailable, the consules, in the absence of the consules, if there is an interrex already in office, the interrex, if there is no interrex in office, a dictator shall be appointed solely to perform the sacrifice.
III.H.2.a.iii. The consules, or their substitutes, are required to report (a detailed description of the ritual needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.2.b. Floralia: between a.d. IV Kal. Mai. (April 28) and pr. Kal. Iun. (May 31)

III.H.2.b.i. It is feriae stativae with a moveable ceremony only in Nova Roma (since it is a popular festival in Nova Roma celebrated it in many provinces where Spring comes on different dates, Nova Roma shall be flexible with the ceremonies).
III.H.2.b.ii. One of the magistrates, or his substitute, shall offer a sacrifice to Flora, any time between a.d. IV Kal. Mai. (April 28) and pr. Kal. Iun. (May 31), but preferably within a.d. V Non. Mai. (May 3).
III.H.2.b.iii. The magistrate or his substitute is required to report (no detailed description or prayer text are required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.2.c. Saturnalia: between the Nones of December (December 5) and a.d. III Kal. Ian. (December 30)

III.H.2.c.i. It is feriae stativae with a moveable ceremony only in Nova Roma (since it is a popular festival in Nova Roma celebrated it in many provinces where the Saturnalian season comes on different dates, Nova Roma shall be flexible with the ceremonies).
III.H.2.c.ii. One of the magistrates, or his substitute, shall offer a sacrifice to Saturnus, any time between the Nones of December (December 5) and a.d. III Kal. Ian. (December 30), but preferably between a.d. XVI Kal. Ian. (December 17) and a.d. X Kal. Ian. (December 23).
III.H.2.c.iii. The magistrate or his substitute is required to report (a detailed description is needed but no prayer text is required) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.3. Biennalian, Quinquennalian or Decennalian Sacrifices

III.H.3.a. Lustrum: every second year, after concluding the census

III.H.3.a.i. The censores shall perform the ceremony of lustrum every second year of Nova Roma, after they have completed the census.
III.H.3.a.ii. The censores or their substitute are required to report (a detailed description is needed with prayer text) about the ceremony publicly.

III.H.3.b. Sacred Year of Concordia: every fifth and tenth year, throughout the year

III.H.3.b.i. The priest or priests of Concordia shall offer sacrifices to Concordia on every Kalends, and in every tenth year, both on the Kalends and on the Ides.
III.H.3.b.ii. The priest of Concordia shall report (prayer text required) about the ceremonies publicly.
III.H.3.b.iii. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, and all priests, shall offer a sacrifice to Concordia and Hercules, and to other deities of their choice appropriate for the anniversary, on an appropriate day other than the Concordialia (when they had already to perform a ritual to Concordia).
III.H.3.b.iv. All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, and all priests, shall report (no description or prayer text required) about the ceremonies publicly.

III.I. Extraordinary rituals

All magistrates and promagistrates, governors and lieutenant governors, and all priests can announce and perform extraordinary public sacrifices on behalf of the republic on a given occasion. The senate or the comitia can also order these magistrates to perform such ceremonies. There can be two types within this category:

III.I.1. Conducting ceremony for a traditional Roman holiday not obligatorily required to be celebrated in Nova Roma

III.I.1.a. Such a ceremony may be celebrated by any magistracy or priest, except if the magistracy which historically performed it, was, according to scholarly evidences, emphatically required to be a certain magistrate or priest, on the date fixed in the official pontifical calendar of Nova Roma, or, if it isn't there in that calendar, on its historical day. If the ceremony was emphatically tied to a certain magistracy or priesthood, only with the authorization of that magistracy or priesthood, and in his name, can the ceremony be conducted by another magistrate or priest.
III.I.1.b. For technical reasons, it is possible to perform, occasionally, such a ritual in another day than historically required, but in this case the officiant shall obtain permission to do it from a pontifex and a piaculum shall also be offered for the inappropriate timing.

III.I.2. Offering an unprecedented public ceremony

There are no restrictions for this type, but they should not normally exceed one day, and it must be offered for an important public cause. There can be many reasons for, or forms of, extraordinary rituals, among whom, without complete listing, the following shall be differentiated:

III.I.2.a. Votive sacrifices

III.I.2.a.i. Similarly to the ludi votivi, public sacrifices may be vowed to the gods by a magistrate, or promagistrate and governor, with imperium, by priests, and by the senate and the comitia. Such a sacrifice can be vowed for an important cause of the Nova Roman People, for asking the gods to save Nova Roma from a serious emergency or trouble, or to thank them the same, or a highly outstanding success or victory of the Nova Roman People.
III.I.2.a.ii. Votive sacrifices can be vowed not only for the current year, but a later year as well, and the same magistracy, not the same person, unless he will again fill that magistracy in that given year, shall conduct the ritual vowed earlier.

III.I.2.b. Supplicatio

The supplicatio is similar but not identical with the votive sacrifices (there is no vow involved). The senate can decree a supplicatio, a day of extraordinary public prayer, offering rituals and sacrifice for divine intervention in times of crisis, or as an act of thanksgiving after overcoming the difficulties, or after a great success or victory, in honor of an extraordinary hero of the republic, or in response to prodigies.
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