Equirria
Historical background for the 'CAERIMONIA EQUIRRIAE'.
by Flamen Martialis L. Equitius Cincinnatus Augur
The day of the Equirria begins shortly after dawn with a sacrifice* at the Ara Martis in the Campus Martius, not far from the Porta Fontinalis in the Servian wall, west of the Via Latia, the altar where Romulus and Numa sacrificed. The pontifices are there and the Flamen Martialis. Silence is pronounced and the sacred flute plays to prevent an inauspicious sound from disturbing the caaerimonia. The Capitoline Triad is invoked with Quirinus by offerings of incense and libations of unmixed wine, prayers to Mars Himself addressed by the Flamen Quirinalis on half of the Senate and People of Rome, the Quirites. The victim, an ox, garlanded white white and scarlet woolen ribbons, his back covered with an elaborately embroidered and fringed dorsuale, is brought forward. The dorsuale is removed by attendants, then the Flamen Martialis pours a few drops of wine upon the ox's head, sprinkles the victim's back with mola salsa, and draws the bronze sacrificial blade down the ox's back. The Flamen Martialis commands the victimarius to strike, bringing the bronze poleaxe down upon the victim's head. Stunned, the ox goes to his knees, and another victimarius neatly cuts the victim's throat. Within moments the victim is dead. This victim is placed on his back, the belly opened quickly, and the haruspex inspects the internal organs (exta): the liver, the lungs, the biliary blister, peritoneum and heart. Each is normal, and the haruspex and Flamen Martialis pronounce the sacrifice to be litatio -- accepted by Mars Pater. These exta are reserved and skewered to be grilled before offering to Mars. The victimarii render the remainder of the ox in preparation for the epulum.
When the skewered exta are grilled, the Flamen Martialis sprinkles them with mola salsa and salt before placing them upon the burning focus of the altar, the offers a libation of unmixed wine, "Mars Pater, macte istace dape pollucenda esto, macte vino inferio esto [Father Mars, may you be honoured by this feast offering, may you be honoured by the humble wine]." He pours then a libation to each of the invoked Gods and Goddeses in turn, and to Vesta, custodian of the sacred fire. He profanes the remainder of the meat which is taken to be roasted for the epulum feast.
The participants in the sacrifice partake of the epulum, eating the meat and bread, drinking wine, praying and offering libations to Mars Pater, joining in a common meal with the Gods to celebrate the feria.
It is likely that a second sacrifice, or perhaps a series of libations, was offered somewhat later in the morning at the Aedes Martis in Circo Flaminio, the temple of Mars adjoining the Circus Flaminius near the Theatre of Pompey. This temple was designed for D. Iunius Brutus Callaicus by Hermodorus of Salamis and dedicated in 138 BCE. According to Pliny, it contained Scopas' colossal statues of Mars and Venus, and Valerius Maximus informs us it was decorated with poetry by Accius. The ceremony here is believed to have served as a preparation for the races of the day.
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- - The precise formulae of the caerimoniae of the sacrifices of the
Feria Equirriae are unknown, but it is likely that they followed the general form of most propritiatory sacrifices of the ritus Romanus, as suggested here. Since Nova Roma is not in the position to offer animal sacrifices at this time, the Flamen Martialis will offer a non-animal sacrifice for the feria.
CAERIMONIA EQUIRRIAE (secunda)
I bathed in preparation, then, garbed in toga praetexta, cinctu Gabino, capite velato, I began the praefatio.
Praefatio
"Iane Pater, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi et Senatui Populoque Novae Romae" [Father Ianus, by offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be willingly propitious to me and the Senate and People of Nova Roma"]. I placed incense in the focus of the altar.
"Iuppiter Optime Maxime, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi et Senatui Populoque Novae Romae" [Iuppiter Best and Greatest, by offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be willingly propitious to me and the Senate and People of Nova Roma"]. I placed incense in the focus of the altar.
"Iuno Dea, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitia mihi et Senatui Populoque Novae Romae" [Goddess Iuno, by offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be willingly propitious to me and the Senate and People of Nova Roma"]. I placed incense in the focus of the altar.
"Minerva Dea, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitia mihi et Senatui Populoque Novae Romae" [Goddess Minerva, by offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be willingly propitious to me and the Senate and People of Nova Roma." I placed incense in the focus of the altar.
"Quirine Pater, te hoc ture commovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi et Senatui Populoque Novae Romae" [Father Quirinus, by offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be willingly propitious to me and the Senate and People of Nova Roma.]" I placed incense in the focus of the altar.
"Iane Pater, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Father Ianus, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honored by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Iuppiter Optime Maxime, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Iuppiter Best and Greatest, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honored by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Iuno Dea, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Goddess Iuno, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honored by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Minerva Dea, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Goddess Minerva, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honored by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Quirine Pater, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Father Mars, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honored by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
I washed my hands in preparation for the praecatio.
Precatio
"Mars Pater, te precor uti fortitudine et peritia horum equitum Equirriae Senatus Populusque Norvorum Romanorum Quiritum iniciantur et sies volens propitius mihi et Senatui Populoque Novorum Romanorum Quiritum. Mars Pater, qui currui temporis equos citos suos iungit ut mensem Martii adduucat, tibi fieri oportet culignam vini dapi, eius rei ergo hac illace dape pullucenda esto" [Father Mars, I pray you that the Senate and People of the Nova Romans, the Quirites, may be inspired by the courage and skill of these horsemen of the Equirria and that you may be propitious to the Senate and People of the Nova Romans, the Quirites. Father Mars, who hitches his swift horses to the chariot of time to bring on the month of March, to you it is proper for a cup of wine to be given, for the sake of this thing therefore may you be honored by this feast offering]." I poured a libation on the altar and added laurel for Mars.
Again I washed my hands in preparation for the redditio.
Redditio
"Mars Pater, qui in campo suo certamen Equirriae semper prospicit, macte istace dape pollucenda esto, macte vino inferio esto" [Father Mars, who always observes from afar the race of the Equirria on his own field, may you be honoured by this feast offering, may you be honoured by the humble wine.]" I offered Mars Pater laurel, cakes and wine on the altar.
"Quirine Pater, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Father Mars, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Minerva Dea, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto " [Goddess Minerva, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Iuno Dea, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Goddess Iuno, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Iuppiter Optime Maxime, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Iuppiter Best and Greatest, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Iane Pater, uti te ture commovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto" [Father Ianus, as by offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Vesta Dea, custos ignis sacri, macte vino inferio esto" [Goddess Vesta, guardian of the sacred fire, be honoured by this humble wine.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
"Illicet" [It is permitted to go.]"
I profaned wine and cakes, and I partook of the epulum with Mars Pater, praying as I ate and offering libations in my private devotions.
Piaculum
Since the historical caerimonia of the feria of the Equirria has not yet been recovered (in fact we know virtually nothing about it; a few formulae here have been adapted from Ovid's _Fasti_) , I offered a piaculum to Mars Pater if anything in this caerimonia should offend him:
"Mars Pater, si quidquam tibi in hac caerimonia displicet, hoc ture veniam peto et vitium meum expio" [Father Mars, if anything in this ceremony is displeasing to you, with this incense I ask forgiveness and expiate my fault.]" I offered incense on the altar.
"Mars Pater, si quidquam tibi in hac caerimonia displicet, hoc vino inferio veniam peto et vitium meum expio" [Father Mars, if anything in this ceremony is displeasing to you, with this humble wine I ask forgiveness and expiate my fault.]" I poured a libation on the altar.
