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| | The basics of ''cultus deorum'' household worship are simple and easy to do. A ''[[lararium]]'' is set up in the home, at which both the deities that are responsible for the home and the patron deities of the family are worshipped. Historically, there are two simple rites done at the ''lararium'' each day: in the morning and in the evening. During these rites the gods are honored, and asked to watch over the affairs of the family. The ''lararium'' was of course also a place where individuals could worship the gods privately, and make small offerings to them. | | The basics of ''cultus deorum'' household worship are simple and easy to do. A ''[[lararium]]'' is set up in the home, at which both the deities that are responsible for the home and the patron deities of the family are worshipped. Historically, there are two simple rites done at the ''lararium'' each day: in the morning and in the evening. During these rites the gods are honored, and asked to watch over the affairs of the family. The ''lararium'' was of course also a place where individuals could worship the gods privately, and make small offerings to them. |
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| − | ==Morning ritual== | + | ==Lararium Rituals== |
| − | This ritual is performed in clean clothing; if possible, a clean [[tunica]] and [[toga]] are best, even better if they are white. The toga should be draped in ''capite velato'', so as to veil the performer from any and all ill omens that might present themselves in the course of the ritual.
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| − | <div class="scriptum">
| + | The modern rituals for Cultores of the Religio Romana may be found here: [[Daily Rituals (Nova Roma)]] |
| − | *Wash both hands in clean water and pray:
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| − | ::'''''May this water cast out all impurities from my substance as from lead to gold.'''''
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| − | *Place both hands upon your head and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my mind.'''''
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| − | *Bring the arms down to your sides with hands in gesture to your body and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my body.'''''
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| − | *Place both hands on the chest, over the heart and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my heart.'''''
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| − | *Take a moment to focus and become fully present and affirm:
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| − | ::'''''It is so.'''''
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| − | *Approach the Lararium in capite velato, adoratio, and ignite the lucerna, then pray:
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| − | ::'''''Be Thou well, Mother Vesta. May Your flames always guide us to the Gods.'''''
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| − | *Ignite the turibulum and burn some incense, with the right hand over the heart, pray:
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| − | ::'''''Mother Vesta, may all be well this morning in the House of __Family Name__.'''''
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| − | *Pray with both hands manu supina: (Carmen Salii in Varro Lingua Latina 7.26)
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| − | ::'''''Arise Father Janus, God of Good Beginnings. Arise, Janus Matutinus, Gate Keeper of the Morning Light.'''''
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| − | *Burn incense in the turibulum and pray manu supina:
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| − | ::'''''Janus, Opener of the Way, may this incense find favor with You that all things beneficient and auspicious may be with us this day.'''''
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| − | *Offer a spelt cake sprinkled with salt and pray:
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| − | ::'''''May You be honored by this cake that You may be kind and favorable my family.'''''
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| − | *Honor the Family Gods with some incense and pray:
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| − | ::(adoratio) '''''Hail Lar Familiaris! May You bless and watch over our family this day. '''''
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| − | ::(adoratio) '''''Be ye well, Divine Penates, may You always preserve and maintain our house and household.'''''
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| − | ::(anoint with olive oil) '''''Be Thou well Genius/Iuno of the Pater/Materfamilias, may You guide us to all things joyous and fortunate.'''''
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| − | *Make an offering of bread drizzled with olive oil and pray:
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| − | ::'''''With this offering of bread and oil, may our family and house be blessed with health and long life.'''''
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| − | *Pour a libation of wine to the Lares and pray:
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| − | ::'''''May this wine find favor with You venerable Lares.'''''
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| − | *Adoratio while praying: (Afranius Fabula Togata fr. 11).
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| − | ::'''''I pray by the Gods that everything will be made fortunate.'''''
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| − | *Burn some incense while praying manu supina: (Plautus Rudens 1338-49)
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| − | ::'''''Be well ye Immortal Gods, if I have done anything to violate this rite may You kindly receive this incense in expiation of my mortal error.'''''
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| − | *Adoratio to the altar and announce:
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| − | ::'''''It is done.'''''
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| − | </div>
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| − | ==Evening ritual==
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| − | This ritual is performed in clean clothing; if possible, a clean [[tunica]] and [[toga]] are best, even better if they are white. The toga should be draped in ''capite velato'', so as to veil the performer from any and all ill omens that might present themselves in the course of the ritual.
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| − |
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| − | <div class="scriptum">
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| − | *Wash both hands in clean water and pray:
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| − |
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| − | ::'''''May this water cast out all impurities from my substance as from lead to gold.'''''
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| − |
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| − | *Place both hands upon your head and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my mind.'''''
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| − |
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| − | *Bring the arms down to your sides with hands in gesture to your body and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my body.'''''
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| − |
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| − | *Place both hands on the chest, over the heart and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Purify my heart.'''''
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| − |
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| − | *Take a moment to focus and become fully present and affirm:
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| − | ::'''''It is so.'''''
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| − |
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| − | *Approach the Lararium in capite velato, adoratio, and burn some incense, then pray:
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| − | ::(adoratio) '''''Hail Lar Familiaris! May You bless us with a restful sleep this night.'''''
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| − | ::(adoratio) '''''Be ye well, Divine Penates, may You watch over us this night.'''''
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| − | ::(adoratio) '''''Be Thou well Genius/Iuno of the Pater/Materfamilias, may You bless us with fortuitous dreams of the coming day.'''''
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| − | *Adoratio to the lucerna and pray:
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| − | ::'''''Be Thou well, Mother Vesta, may Your flames always warm our home and our hearts. May all be well this night in the House of __Family Name__.'''''
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| − | *Extinguish the flame of the lucerna, and then cover the lucerna with a dark cloth.
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| − | *Burn some incense while praying manu supina: (Plautus Rudens 1338-49)
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| − | ::'''''Be well ye Immortal Gods, if I have done anything this day to offend You, may You kindly receive this incense in expiation of my mortal error.'''''
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| − | *Adoratio to the altar and announce:
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| − | ::'''''It is done.'''''
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| − | </div>
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| − | ==Info About the Rituals==
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| − | You will find above, in parenthetical notations, the primary sources of directly quoted or otherwise inspired prayers.
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| − | Both the Morning and Evening Lararium rituals are ab mani Titi Iuli Neronis,
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| − | MMDCCLX a.u.c.
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| | [[Category:Religio Romana]] | | [[Category:Religio Romana]] |
| | [[Category:Ritus]] | | [[Category:Ritus]] |
Private worship was the foundation of religion in ancient Rome. Although the public rites have received the most attention from historians, such things as the grand temples and many festivals were possible only because of the
which grew from household and family rites.
Each household in Rome was in a sense a temple to the gods. All Roman homes had a household altar, or "lararium", at which the family interacted with the goddesses and gods on a personal level each day. The rites of the home and family were so important to the Romans that such worship persisted into very late antiquity, surviving centuries longer than the public manifestations of the cultus deorum, which were officially banned in the late 4th century CE.
The reasons that household worship was important are understandable even today. The family is the basis of Roman culture, and the household is the "center" of a family's existence. Inviting the gods into one's house helps to ensure that one's property, relatives, and worldly efforts are blessed by the Roman deities, and that the positive powers of the goddesses and gods will enrich one's daily life. Such a sharing of life between humans and the gods is the essence of the Pax Deorum, or "Peace of the Gods."
