FERIAE IOVI: THE FEAST OF IUPPITER

Salvete omnes,

On Saturday, September 13, we will be celebrating the Festival of Iuppiter Optimus Maximus. You are encouraged to celebrate this festival in your own home or with family and friends.

Optime valete,

L VITELLIVS TRIARIVS

Aedilis curulis

About the Contest

After the ancient sacrifice to Iuppiter, an epulum was held (eating of the sacrificial meat and other banquest foods). We are hosting a contest to see who can create the best banquet menu. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO COOK THE MEAL--This is a virtual contest to allow our Roman culinary enthusiasts and wannabes a forum to show off their skills at planning.

Rules

A) Prepare a banquet meal, consisting of the appropriate sacrificial meat and other Roman recipe foods. You must include at least one ancient Roman dish, and you may include modern adaptations and variations on the ancient Roman prepared foods.

B) Send your entries to: lvtriarius@yahoo.com NO LATER THAN 1200 NOON Rome Time on Saturday, September 13th.

Results

NO ENTRIES RECEIVED.

CEREMONY TO THE DIVINE IUPPITER

SEP 13, 2014 (2767 AUC)

For the Ludi Romani (Feriae Iovi / Idus Septembris)

St. Cornelia C. Aemilio cos.

Id. Sep.

MMDCCLXVII a.u.c.

Performed by:

L. Vitellius Triarius, Pontifex

Provincia America Transappalachiana

Republic of Nova Roma

Among the ancient Romans, Iuppiter was the supreme god of the Roman pantheon, called dies pater, "shining father". He is a god of light and sky, and protector of the state and its laws. He is a son of Saturn and brother of Neptune and Juno (who is also his wife). The Romans worshipped him especially as Iuppiter Optimus Maximus (all-good, all-powerful). This name refers not only to his rulership over the universe, but also to his function as the god of the state who distributes laws, controls the realm and makes his will known through oracles. His English name is Jove. He had a temple on the Capitoline, together with Juno and Minerva, but he was the most prominent of this Capitoline triad.

His temple was not only the most important sanctuary in Rome; it was also the center of political life. Here official offerings were made, treaties were signed and wars were declared, and the triumphant generals of the Roman army came here to give their thanks. Other titles of Iuppiter include: Caelestis (heavenly), Lucetius (of the light), Totans (thunderer), Fulgurator (of the lightning). As Iuppiter Victor he led the Roman army to victory. Iuppiter is also the protector of the ancient league of Latin cities. His attribute is the lightning bolt and the eagle is both his symbol and his messenger. Iuppiter is completely identical with the Greek Zeus.

September 13th is the Feriae Iovi, or Festival of Iuppiter. It is also the Idus of September, being sacred to Iuppiter. Therefore, on this Feriae Iovis and Idus, I arose early and performed the following public ceremony to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus in my home, and welcome and invite you to perform it in your own home, or at least the private ceremony which follows.

PUBLIC RITUS TO THE DIVINE IUPPITER

FERIAE IOVI / ID. SEP. 2767 AUC (2014 CE)

I washed both hands in clean water and, in capite velato, prayed:

Haec aqua a corpore impuritates velut plumbo ad aurum mutando eluat. Purga mentem. Purga carnem. Purga animum. Ita est!

May this water cast out all impurities from my substance as from lead to gold. Purify my mind. Purify my body. Purify my heart. It is so.

Dive Iove! Dive Iove! Dive Iove!

Divine Iuppiter! Divine Iuppiter! Divine Iuppiter!

Dive Iove, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sis volens propitius Novis Romanis, amicis meis, mihi, domo, familiae!

I offered incense

Divine Iuppiter, by offering you this incense I pray good prayers so that you be benevolent and propitious to the Nova Romans, to my friends, to me, to my household and to my family.

Dive Iove, ut te ture commovendo bonas preces precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto!

I offered wine

Divine Iuppiter, as by offering incense I have prayed good prayers, for the very same reason be thou blessed by this wine.

Iuppiter omnipotens, omnia potens, in hac festivitate tibi Ad quem respicit, et admirans ad senem septentriones mirum, notum est, qui semper virtutibus in mille, et ideo nemo umquam vidit Aristoteles aut innumerabiles. Fiat autem si quo dirigantur nomen dignatio vestra, Sancti libenter, nescio, quem tremit fortissimus ipsorum commodo vaga sidera cursus. Tu solus, sed tu ipse in pluribus, Tu in principio, et tu solus, et similiter inter vos, et orta inter sidera ipsa superstes. Finis enim non tibi, ad finem adducere labentibus semper. Celsum, videre ab aeterno in sæculum rotatis quaedam de natura et fatum vitarum accipitur in impeditis et reuoluta a multis retro saeculis, iterum reduci modo firmamento redditi, deducto partium mundi et certe amissa restituit, tura plus semel in Time fluunt. Si sensus ordinare licet cogitare conatum tuum et ad te capere turmis quibus de immensa magnitudine stellarum et coronásti similitudinem tuam amplector, aethera, forte apparet imago tua in praesenti est momentaneum mico cum membra fluentia fulminis ignes, qui es in Caelum, Tu inferno illuminati curvo in lucem dies. Tu genus omne deum In. Confirmatioque omnium causa vos estis. Natura tu es, Domine, Deus infinita. Ut patet in multis ita factum est hic, ut aliquando a Deo hic semel nascitur in mundo in domum Dei et hominum, Lucent, ex regia stellantis in agro flos iuventae faciebat. Tua me immittere spirate quaeso volenti concedimus nosse, in qua pater, modo mundum. Da, pater Iove, augustas ut possim noscere causas, quibus venire Aliquando simul omnia sub forma materiae rebus, et quod lux textura, sed videantur quae de congruentia, Olim in ea pertexuit, qui mundum ab anima: tu, id est, quid sit, et vivam, per quod vivit corpus, est vivos.

I offered wine and incense

Iuppiter Almighty, potent in all things, during this festival to you, to Whom the aged north star looks upon with admiring wonder, the One who is always known by a thousand virtues, no one shall ever be able to account their countless number or timelessness. Now be addressed, if by any name Your dignity may be addressed, Holy One, be delighted, Unknown One, for Whom mightiest Earth trembles and the wandering stars halt their rapid course. You alone, though within Yourself are You many, You are first, and You are last, and likewise are You in between, arising above and outliving the very stars. For without end Yourself, You bring ever-gliding time to an end. On high from eternity You look upon the whirling course of Nature's certain Fate and of lives taken into the intricate convolutions of time immemorial, only to be brought back once more and restored to their heavenly vault, the world no doubt restored of those parts drawn off and will have been lost, only once more for them to ebb back into the flow of unending time. If indeed it is allowed to thoughtlessly direct one's senses toward You and attempt to grasp Your holy splendor, whereby You surround the immense vastness of the stars and embrace the aether with Your likeness, perhaps Your image appears in the momentary flash of lightning with limbs of flowing flames, in that You are the Radiance, who enlightens all the world beneath You and presses onward the sunlight into our days. In You are the entire race of Gods. You are the invigorating cause of all things. You are all of Nature, the One God innumerable. You manifest in many way, born once here as a God, born once here as a world, this home of Gods and mankind, Lucent, majestic source of the starry field in youthful bloom. Instill me with Your favoring breath, I pray, grant to one willing to know, the manner in which You father the world. Grant, Father Iuppiter, that I may come to know the august causes by which You once wove all things together to form the physical world of matter, and what texture of light, congruent and dissimilar, You once wove into it, by which You animated the world with soul, and what it is that is lively, by which the quick body lives.

Dive Iove, Omnes Di Immortales quocumque nomine: si quidquam vobis in hac caerimonia displiceat, hoc vino inferio veniam peto et vitium meum expio.

I offered wine

Divine Iuppiter, All Gods Immortal, by whichever name: if something in this ceremony was unpleasant to you, by this wine I do apologize and expiate my mistake.

Illicet.

It is done.

Ceremony adapted from an ancient prayer to Iuppiter (Tiberianus, Book IV)

PRIVATE RITUS TO THE DIVINE IUPPITER

FERIAE IOVI / ID. SEP. 2767 AUC (2014 CE)

O Father Iuppiter, I pray good prayers in order that, You may be strengthened by this offering of incense (wine/flowers/cakes/all) and be favorable to me and my family, to my family and our household.

Offering is made at the household altar.

Father Iuppiter, Supreme Ruler of the Universe, who does cherish and nurture the human race, through whom we live and draw the breath of being, in whom rest the hopes and lives of all humankind, I pray You grant that on this day, the Feriae Iovi and Idus of September, may prosper that which I have in hand. Father Iuppiter, as it is prescribed for you in the Sibylline Oracles – and for this reason may good fortune attend the Nova Roman people, the Quirites, me, my family, and my household; I beg you and pray that you may increase the power and majesty in good times and bad; and that you may grant eternal safety, victory and health; and that you may protect, keep safe and make greater the state of the Nova Roman people, the Quirites, me, my family, and my household; and that you may accept this sacrifice to be offered for you and that you may be favorable and propitious to the Nova Roman people, the Quirites, to me, to my family, to my household;

Father Iuppiter, because it is proper for a cup of wine (incense/flowers/cakes/all) to be given to you in the house of my family for the sacred feast, for the sake of this thing may you be honored by this feast offering. For these reasons be honored with the sacrifice of this wine, become favourable and propitious to the Nova Roman people, the Quirites, to me, to my family, to my household.

Offering is made at the household altar.

Divine Iuppiter, and all Gods Immortal by whatever name I may call you: if anything in this ceremony was displeasing to you, with the sacrificial incense (wine/flowers/cakes/all) I ask forgiveness and expiate my fault.

Offering is made at the household altar.

It is done.

Ceremony adapted from ancient Roman prayers (Cato De Agricultura, Corpus Inscriptiones Latinae VI 32 323, Acta Sacrorum Saecularium 105-7; and 93-99)