Guide to sacrifice

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{{LanguageBar|Guide to Sacrifice}}
  
== Headline text ==
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The main source for the study of domestic Roman sacrifices is [[Cato]] in his work ''[[De Agricultura]]''. Comparison with surviving descriptions of public sacrifices reveals that private and public sacrifices followed much the same set of guidelines. This allows us to fill the gaps left open by Cato with elements that survived in the descriptions of public sacrifices. Several public sacrifices were originally private to some families, the state having decided to preserve them (e.g. after the lineage of the family was broken) because of their importance to the city of Rome as a whole. We can even go further and state that the public cult in Rome was nothing more than a domestic cult adapted to the scale of the city. Just like any private household, the city had its own hearth (the [[Temple of Vesta]]) where [[Vesta]] and the ''[[Penates publici]]'' (Public Penates) were honoured.
  
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This page provides a template for a standard traditional domestic roman sacrifice, as well as information about the correct offerings to give to the main deities. Non-standard sacrifices (e.g. ''[[lectisternia]]'', ''[[sellisternia]]'', ''[[devotiones]]'') or sacrifices with special mystery rites performed at specific occasions and/or stemming from a long tradition (the meaning of many being already forgotten by the time of the Republic), fall outside the scope of the present work. On the other hand, most simple daily rites and offerings can be considered as consisting of a small subset of the procedures described below (e.g. libation of wine, daily offering of incense). The provided template will be illustrated with the original description of a simple offering to [[Iuppiter Dapalis]] [[De_Agricultura#De_Agricultura_132|Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132]], as well as other sources when needed.
  
== == Template and Guidelines for Domestic Roman Sacrifice == ==
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We can divide the standard sacrificial procedures in several parts or moments: 1. ''Praeparatio'', 2. ''Praefatio'', 3. ''Precatio'', 4. ''Immolatio'', 5. ''Redditio'', 6. ''Profanatio'', 7. ''Epulum''.
  
By Antonius Gryllus Graecus, Pontifex
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The page finishes with an appendix which presents a table with the sacrificial details for specific deities. For any doubts or information on deities not included in the table feel free ask the [[Collegium Pontificum (Nova Roma)|Collegium Pontificum]]. You can also join the [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ReligioRomana/ Religio Romana mailing list] to discuss these and other related matters.
  
The main source for the study of domestic Roman sacrifices is no doubt Cato in his work ''De Agricultura''. Comparison with surviving descriptions of  public sacrifices reveals that private and public sacrifices followed much the same set of guidelines, which allow us to fill the gaps left open by Cato with elements that survived in the descriptions of public sacrifices. In fact, several public sacrifices were originally private to some families, the state having decided to preserve them (e.g. after the lineage of the family was broken) because of their importance to the city of Rome as a whole. We can even go further and state that the public cult in Rome was nothing more than a domestic cult adapted to the scale of the city. Just like any private household, the city had its own hearth (the Temple of Vesta) where Vesta and the Penates Publici (Public Penates) were honoured.
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=== ''Praeparatio'' ===
  
In this page we will provide a template for a standard traditional domestic roman sacrifice, as well as information about the correct offerings to give to the main deities. Non-standard sacrifices (e.g. lectisternia, sellisternia, devotiones) or sacrifices with special mysterious rites performed at specific occasions and/or stemming from a long tradition (the meaning of many being already forgotten by the time of the Republic), fall out of the span of the present work. On the other hand, most simple daily rites and offerings can be considered as consisting on a small subset of the procedures described below (e.g. libation of wine, daily offering of incense). The provided template will be illustrated with the original description of a simple offering to Iuppiter Dapalis [Cato, De Agricultura, 132], as well as other sources when needed.  
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In domestic sacrifices the preparation is easier. The sacrifice takes place in front of the ''[[lararium]]'', usually placed near or above an hearth or fireplace (''focus''). If it is a blood sacrifice, it can be made on an outdoor ''lararium'' or on a focus prepared on purpose outside the house.  
  
We can divide the standard sacrificial procedures in several parts or moments
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The sacrificer is usually the [[pater familias]], but the [[mater familias]] can also sacrifice in some occasions (e.g. she sacrifices to her ''Iuno'' - guardian spirit or female equivalent of the ''[[Genius]]'' - on her birthday). Other members of the household can help to carry the offerings or other objects. In order to ensure that the words are correctly spoken, one of the assistants may be charged to read the words and whisper them to the sacrificer [Plinius, ''Naturalis Historia'', 28.3.10]. The sacrificer should also bath himself before the sacrifice [Livius, ''Ab Urbe Condita'', 1.45].
  
1. Praeparatio
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Once the time comes, the officiants approach the ''lararium'' where an image of the deity honoured in the sacrifice is placed among the ''[[Penates]]'' (deities worshiped in the household). The sacrificer faces the ''lararium'', while the assistants and audience remain on his back.  
  
2. Praefatio
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For more information regarding the preparation of the ''lararium'' and the sacrificial tools, please refer to the article on [[household worship]].
  
3. Precatio
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For more information regarding the preparation of the ''lararium'' and the sacrificial tools, please refer to the article on [[household worship]]. For more information regarding posture and attitude during sacrifice, see the article on [http://www.novaroma.org/religio_romana/posture.html Posture and Gesture in Roman Prayer] in our old website.
  
4. Immolatio
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=== ''Praefatio'' ===
  
5. Redditio
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A more solemn sacrifice (namely a sacrifice of a living victim) starts with a ''praefatio'', which consists on offerings of incense and wine where some deities are invited to witness the sacrifice. Small offerings like the offering to Iuppiter Dapalis (Cato, [[De Agricultura 132|''De Agricultura'', 132]]) do not include a ''praefatio''. Others (e.g. Cato, [[De Agricultura 134|''De Agricultura'' 134]]) seem to present two ''praefationes'', one of incense and wine and another of [[Spelt cake|cakes]] and wine. In temple sacrifices, the praefatio was performed before the temple entrance using a portable hearth, the ''foculus''.  
  
6. Profanatio
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The ''praefatio'' starts with the invocation of [[Ianus]] (vide Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', II.67), the god of beginnings. Cato adds [[Iuppiter]] (Cato, [[De Agricultura 141|''De Agricultura'' 141]]) and [[Iuno]] (Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 134). According to [[Ovid]]ius, (''Fasti'', 6.303 seq.), [[Vesta]] can also be among the deities invoked in the ''praefatio'', as she governs the fire of the hearth through which the offerings reach the gods (see Servius, ''ad Aen''., 1.292). In [ILS154] the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed is addressed in the ''praefatio''.
  
7. Epulum
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The following procedures illustrate a ''praefatio'' where the deities invoked are [[Ianus]] and [[Iuppiter]]. The prayers are based on Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 134.
  
The page finishes with an appendix which presents a table with the sacrificial details for specific deities. For any doubts or information on deities not included in the table feel free ask the Collegium Pontificum. You can also join the ReligioRomana mailing list to discuss these and other related matters.
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:1) The sacrificer will normally be wearing a [[toga]] (the ''toga praetexta'' is used by magistrates in public sacrifices). The sacrificer veils his head with the toga (called ''capite velato'' or ''cinctu Gabinio'') as the deities invoked in the ''praefatio'' are to be honoured "''ritu Romano''" (according to the Roman rite). [[[CIL]] 32329] shows that this is true even if the main sacrifice is performed "''ritu Graeco''".  
  
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:2) The sacrificer offers incense to Ianus as follows:
  
== Praeparatio ==
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“''Iane pater, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi, domo, familiae.''”
  
In domestic sacrifices the preparation is easier. The sacrifice takes place in front of the Lararium usually placed near or above an hearth or fireplace (''focus''). If it is a blood sacrifice, it can be made on an outdoor Lararium or on a  focus prepared on purpose outside the house.  
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“Father Ianus, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me, to my household and to my family.
  
The sacrificer is usually the paterfamilias, but the materfamilias can also sacrifice in some occasions (e.g. she sacrifices to her ''Iuno'' - guardian spirit or female equivalent of the ''Genius'' - on her birthday). Other members of the household can help to carry the offerings or other objects. In order to ensure that the words are correctly spoken, one of the assistants may be charged to read the words and whisper them to the sacrificer [Plinius, ''Naturalis Historia'', 28.3.10]. The sacrificer should also bath himself before the sacrifice [Livius, ''Ab Urbe Condita'', 1.45].  
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:The sacrificer places the incense on the ''focus''.
  
Once the time comes, the officiants approach the Lararium where an image of the deity honoured in the sacrifice is placed among the Penates (deities worshiped in the household). The sacrificer faces the Lararium, while the assistants and audience remain on his back.
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:3) Then incense is offered to Iuppiter in the same way:
  
For more information regarding the preparation of the Lararium and the sacrificial tools, please refer to the HowTo page written by Pontifex Maximus Marcus Cassius Iulianus. For more information regarding posture and attitude during sacrifice, see the Posture page written by Pontifex Antonius Gryllus Graecus.
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''Iuppiter, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi liberisque meis domo familiaeque meae.''
 
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== Praefatio ==
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A more solemn sacrifice (namely a sacrifice of a living victim) starts with a praefatio, which consists on offerings of incense and wine where some deities are invited to witness the sacrifice. Small offerings like the offering to Iuppiter Dapalis [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132] do not include a praefatio. Others like [Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 134] seem to present two praefationes, one of incense and wine and another of cakes and wine. In temple sacrifices, the praefatio was performed before the temple entrance using a portable hearth, the foculus.
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The praefatio starts with the invocation of Ianus [Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', II.67], the god of beginnings. Cato adds Iuppiter [Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 141] and Iuno [Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 134]. According to [Ovidius, ''Fasti'', 6.303 seq.], Vesta can also be among the deities invoked in the praefatio, as she governs the fire of the hearth through which the offerings reach the gods (see [Servius, ''ad Aen''., 1.292]). In [ILS154] the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed is addressed in the praefatio.
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The following procedures illustrate a praefatio where the deities invoked are Ianus and Iuppiter. The prayers are based on on [Cato, ''De Agricultura'' 134].
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1) The sacrificer will normally be wearing a toga (the ''toga praetexta'' is used by magistrates in public sacrifices). The sacrificer veils his head with the toga (called ''capite velato'' or ''cinctu Gabinu'') as the deities invoked in the praefatio are to be honoured romano ritu (according to the roman rite). [CIL 32329] shows that this is true even if the main sacrifice is performed graeco ritu.
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2) The sacrificer offers incense to Ianus as follows:
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“Iano pater, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi liberisque meis domo familiaeque meae.”
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“Father Ianus, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me and my children, to my house and to my household.”
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The sacrificer places the incence on the focus.
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3) Then incense is offered to Iuppiter in the same way:
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“Iuppiter, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi liberisque meis domo familiaeque meae.”
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“Iuppiter, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me and my children, to my house and to my household.”
 
“Iuppiter, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me and my children, to my house and to my household.”
  
The sacrificer places the incence on the focus.
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:The sacrificer places the incense on the ''focus''.
  
4) Then an offering dish (patera) of wine is offered to Ianus:
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:4) Then an offering dish ([[patera]]) of wine is offered to Ianus:
  
"Iano pater, uti te ture ommovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto."
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"''Iane pater, uti te ture ommovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto.''"
  
 
"Father Janus, as in offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this wine offered in libation."
 
"Father Janus, as in offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this wine offered in libation."
  
The sacrificer pours the wine on the focus.
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:The sacrificer pours the wine on the focus.
  
5) Then the same to Iuppiter:
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:5) Then the same to Iuppiter:
  
"Iuppiter macte isto ture esto, macte vino inferio esto."
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"''Iuppiter macte isto ture esto, macte vino inferio esto.''"
  
 
"Iuppiter, be honoured by that incense, be honoured by this wine below."
 
"Iuppiter, be honoured by that incense, be honoured by this wine below."
  
The sacrificer pours the wine on the focus.
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:The sacrificer pours the wine on the ''focus''.
  
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=== ''Precatio'' ===
  
== Precatio ==
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The main sacrifice starts with a prayer directed to the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed. In this prayer, the sacrificer states the reason for the sacrifice, the goods that he will sacrifice, and the blessings he wants to receive in return. In [Horatius, ''Carmina'', 3.23] it is suggested that the [[altar]] or ''lararium'' should be touched while the prayers are being said, which is confirmed by [Virgilius, ''Aeneis'', 4.219]. According to Servius Honoratus, Varro wrote that this gesture is necessary to grant the good will of the deity [Servius, ''Aeneidos Commentarius'', 4.219].
  
The main sacrifice starts with a prayer directed to the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed. In this prayer, the sacrificer states the reason for the sacrifice, the goods that he will sacrifice, and the blessings he wants to receive in return. In [Horatius, ''Carmina'', 3.23] it is suggested that the altar or Lararium should be touched while the prayers are being said, which is confirmed by [Virgilius, ''Aeneis'', 4.219]. According to Servius Honoratus, Varro wrote that this gesture is necessary to grant the good will of the deity [Servius, ''Aeneidos Commentarius'', 4.219].
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The following procedures illustrate the ''precatio''. The prayer is taken from [[De Agricultura|Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132]], where the deity to be honoured in the sacrifice is Iuppiter Dapalis:
  
The following procedures illustrate the precatio. The prayer is taken from [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132], where the deity to be honoured in the sacrifice is Iuppiter Dapalis:
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:1) If the sacrifice is to be performed ''[[Graeco ritu]]'', the sacrificer uncovers his head, adorns his head with a laurel crown and takes off his toga, becoming dressed with his tunic only (usually a fringed tunic).
  
1) If the sacrifice is to be performed ''graeco ritu'', the sacrificer uncovers his head, adorns his head with a laurel crown and takes off his toga, becoming dressed with his tunic only (usually a fringed tunic).  
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:2) The sacrificer washes his hands on a vessel placed beside him, or carried by one of the assistants. Although this is the usual place for this observance, [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132] places the washing of the hands after the prayer in step 3.
  
2) The sacrificer washes his hands on a vessel placed beside him, or carried by one of the assistants. Although this is the usual place for this observance, [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132] places the washing of the hands after the prayer in step 3.
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:3) The sacrificer touches the altar or ''lararium'' and addresses the deity with a prayer where the purpose and nature of the sacrifice are described:
  
3) The sacrificer touches the altar or Lararium and addresses the deity with a prayer where the purpose and nature of the sacrifice are described:
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"''Iuppiter dapalis, quod tibi fieri oportet in domo familia mea culignam vini dapi, eius rei ergo macte hac illace dape pollucenda esto.''"
 
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"Iuppiter dapalis, quod tibi fieri oportet in domo familia mea culignam vini dapi, eius rei ergo macte hac illace dape pollucenda esto."
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"Iuppiter Dapalis, because it is proper for a cup of wine to be given to you in the house of my family for the sacred feast, for the sake of this thing may you be honoured by this feast offering."
 
"Iuppiter Dapalis, because it is proper for a cup of wine to be given to you in the house of my family for the sacred feast, for the sake of this thing may you be honoured by this feast offering."
  
When the sacrifice was performed ''Graeco Ri''tu, some Greek words could be interspersed in the Latin text.
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:When the sacrifice was performed ''Graeco ritu'', some Greek words could be interspersed in the Latin text.
  
 
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=== ''Immolatio'' ===
== Immolatio ==
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This part only applies to blood sacrifices, i.e. when the offering is a living creature. As the [[Collegium Pontificum (Nova Roma)|Collegium Pontificum]] of Nova Roma has many reservations towards this type of sacrifice, the information in this section should be regarded as informative only with no intentions of motivating its practice. Although blood sacrifices were common in classical Rome, it must be said that the Religio Romana has also an ancient tradition for the absence of that practice as stated in [Ovid, ''Fasti'', I.337]:
  
This part only applies to blood sacrifices, i.e. when the offering is a living creature. As the Collegium Pontificum of Nova Roma has many reservations towards this type of sacrifice, the information in this section should be regarded as informative only with no intentions of motivating its practice. Although blood sacrifices were common in classical Rome, it must be said that the Religio Romana has also an ancient tradition for the absence of that practice as stated in [Ovid, ''Fasti'', I.337]:
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<blockquote>"Of old the means to win the goodwill of gods for man were spelt and the sparkling grains of pure salt. As yet no foreign ship had brought across the ocean waves the black-distilled myrrh; the Eufrates had sent no incense, India no balm, and the red saffron's filaments were still unknown. The altar was content to smoke with savine, and the laurel burned with crackling loud. To garlands woven of meadow flowers he who could violets add was rich indeed. The knife that now lays bare the bowels of the slaughtered bull had in sacred rites no work to do. (...)" (cf. [[Numa tradition]].)</blockquote>
  
"Of old the means to win the goodwill of gods for man were spelt and the sparkling grains of pure salt. As yet no foreign ship had brought across the ocean waves the black-distilled myrrh; the Eufrates had sent no incense, India no balm, and the red saffron's filaments were still unknown. The altar was content to smoke with savine, and the laurel burned with crackling loud. To garlands woven of meadow flowers he who could violets add was rich indeed. The knife that now lays bare the bowels of the slaughtered bull had in sacred rites no work to do. (...)"
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The immolation procedures are better known in the public context than in the domestic context. Nevertheless it is very likely that domestic sacrifices followed at least a subset (probably variable according to the habits and possibilities of each household) of the public sacrifices.  
  
The immolation procedures are better known in the public context  than in the domestic context. Nevertheless it is very likely that domestic sacrifices followed at least a subset (probably variable according to the habits and possibilities of each household) of the public sacrifices.
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The sacrificed victims were always domestic animals carefully selected according to species, sex, colour and size, in order to match the nature of the deity to which they were offered. Male deities received male victims (some received castrated victims, others complete victims), while female deities received female victims. White victims were offered to the Celestial gods, black victims to the Underworld gods ([[Dii Inferi]] such as Dis, Proserpina, the Manes) or of the night, red victims were offered to Volcanus and Robigo. Pregnant sows were offered to Ceres and Tellus in some expiatory rites. Swines and rams were usually offered in funerary sacrifices.
 
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The sacrificed victims were always domestic animals carefully selected according to species, sex, colour and size, in order to match the nature of the deity to which they were offered. Male deities received male victims (some received castrated victims, others complete victims), while female deities received female victims. White victims were offered to the Celestial gods, black victims to the Underworld gods (Dii Inferi such as Dis, Proserpina, the Manes) or of the night, red victims were offered to Volcanus and Robigo. Pregnant sows were offered to Ceres and Tellus in some expiatory rites. Swines and rams were usually offered in funerary sacrifices.
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Blood sacrifices required special preparation. The animals were washed and adorned with ribbons and strips of white or scarlet wool. The horns of the bovines were usually guilded and/or adorned with disk. The back of the porcines and bovines was covered with a richly decorated fringed coverture (''dorsuale''). The phases of the immolation were the following:
 
Blood sacrifices required special preparation. The animals were washed and adorned with ribbons and strips of white or scarlet wool. The horns of the bovines were usually guilded and/or adorned with disk. The back of the porcines and bovines was covered with a richly decorated fringed coverture (''dorsuale''). The phases of the immolation were the following:
  
1) The first act was the consecration of the victim, which was different depending on the rite (Ritus Romanus or Ritus Graecus). According to the Ritus Romanus, the sacrificer consecrated the victim by the mola salsa (roasted wheat flour with added salt originally made by the Vestales and thus associated with the fire of Vesta; the ''mola salsa'' is origin for the word ''immolatio'' or ''inmolatio''), wine and the knife (''mola, vino cultroque''). In order to do this he powdered the back of the victim with the mola salsa, poured a little wine on its forehead with a ''patera'', and finally passed the sacrificial knife along the back of the animal.
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:1) The first act was the consecration of the victim, which was different depending on the rite (''ritus Romanus'' or ''ritus Graecus''). According to the ''ritus Romanus'', the sacrificer consecrated the victim by the ''[[mola salsa]]'' (roasted wheat flour with added salt originally made by the Vestales and thus associated with the fire of Vesta; the ''mola salsa'' is origin for the word ''immolatio'' or ''in-molatio''), wine and the knife (''mola, vino cultroque''). In order to do this he powdered the back of the victim with the ''mola salsa'', poured a little wine on its forehead with a ''patera'', and finally passed the sacrificial knife along the back of the animal. In the ''ritus Graecus'', the sacrificer consecrated the victim by dropping a few grains of corn and some drops of water on the head of the victim. He then cut some hair from the head of the victim and offered it on the fire.
In the ''Ritus Graecus'', the sacrificer consecrated the victim by dropping a few grains of corn and some drops of water on the head of the victim. He then cut some hair from the head of the victim and offered it on the fire.
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2) After the consecration, the sacrificer or the butchers (victimarii) proceded to kill the victim (if butchers were available, the sacrificer would give the sign). The victim should show no sign of panic, otherwise that would be considered a bad omen and the sacrifice would be polluted. On the contrary, the victim should show its consent by lowering its head helped by the sacrificer. Bigger victims (e.g. bovines) were firstly stunned with a poleaxe and then bled to death. Smaller victims had their throat cut.
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:2) After the consecration, the sacrificer or the butchers (''victimarii'') proceded to kill the victim (if butchers were available, the sacrificer would give the sign). The victim should show no sign of panic, otherwise that would be considered a bad omen and the sacrifice would be polluted. On the contrary, the victim should show its consent by lowering its head helped by the sacrificer. Bigger victims (e.g. bovines) were firstly stunned with a poleaxe and then bled to death. Smaller victims had their throat cut.
  
3) The victim was then laid on its back, and its belly was opened. With the help of its assistants (namely the haruspex), the sacrificer verified if the victim had been well accepted through the examination of the entrails: the liver, the lungs, the biliary blister, peritoneum and heart. If entrails did not present any anomalies it was considered that the sacrifice had been accepted (''litatio'') and it could proceed. Otherwise the sacrifice was aborted and had to restart with new victims. This was repeated until the litatio was achieved. Sometimes the entrails could be examined in Etruscan fashion with the purpose of divination (''haruspicatio'').
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:3) The victim was then laid on its back, and its belly was opened. With the help of its assistants (namely the ''[[haruspex]]''), the sacrificer verified if the victim had been well accepted through the examination of the entrails: the liver, the lungs, the biliary blister, peritoneum and heart. If entrails did not present any anomalies it was considered that the sacrifice had been accepted (''litatio'') and it could proceed. Otherwise the sacrifice was aborted and had to restart with new victims. This was repeated until the ''litatio'' was achieved. Sometimes the entrails could be examined in Etruscan fashion with the purpose of divination (''haruspicatio'').
  
4) The victim was then divided. The entrails (''exta'') were destined for the deity. The rest would normally be destined to the humans, being eaten in a banquet (epulum) after the sacrifice. With the exception of some deities of more savage nature (e.g. Mars - see [Suetonius, ''Vita Divi Augusti'', 1] and [Arnobius, ''Adversus Nationes'', 2.68]), the entrails were cooked before being offered. Those of bovines were boiled, while those of porcines and ovines were grilled on skewers. The entrails were then powdered with mola salsa and wine before being offered to the deity (see below).
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:4) The victim was then divided. The entrails (''exta'') were destined for the deity. The rest would normally be destined to the humans, being eaten in a banquet (epulum) after the sacrifice. With the exception of some deities of more savage nature (e.g. Mars - see [Suetonius, ''Vita Divi Augusti'', 1] and [Arnobius, ''Adversus Nationes'', 2.68]), the entrails were cooked before being offered. Those of bovines were boiled, while those of porcines and ovines were grilled on skewers. The entrails were then powdered with mola salsa and wine before being offered to the deity (see below).
 
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== Redditio ==
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=== ''Redditio'' ===
  
 
In this phase the offerings are actually given to the deity. Usually, only a part of the offerings is actually given to the deity, the rest being profanated and consumed by the humans after the sacrifice. An exception is when the sacrifice is performed in honour of the Underworld gods (e.g. Dis and Proserpina, etc.), as no one can sit at the same table with the gods that govern Death and the Dead.
 
In this phase the offerings are actually given to the deity. Usually, only a part of the offerings is actually given to the deity, the rest being profanated and consumed by the humans after the sacrifice. An exception is when the sacrifice is performed in honour of the Underworld gods (e.g. Dis and Proserpina, etc.), as no one can sit at the same table with the gods that govern Death and the Dead.
Line 136: Line 109:
 
While giving each offering, the act is confirmed with words. The following example is again taken from  [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132]. Like many other public and private sacrifices it takes the form of "[Deity (voc.)], macte [offerings (abl.)] esto":
 
While giving each offering, the act is confirmed with words. The following example is again taken from  [Cato, ''De Agricultura'', 132]. Like many other public and private sacrifices it takes the form of "[Deity (voc.)], macte [offerings (abl.)] esto":
  
"Iuppiter dapalis, macte istace dape pollucenda esto, macte vino inferio esto."
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"''Iuppiter dapalis, macte istace dape pollucenda esto, macte vino inferio esto.''"
  
 
"Iupiter Dapalis, may you be honoured by this feast offering, may you be honoured by the wine offered below."
 
"Iupiter Dapalis, may you be honoured by this feast offering, may you be honoured by the wine offered below."
  
Meat offerings are usually sprinkled with wine and salt or mola salsa (roasted wheat flour with added salt) before being served to the deities.
+
Meat offerings are usually sprinkled with wine and salt or [[mola salsa]] (roasted wheat flour with added salt) before being served to the deities.
  
Besides the main deity of the sacrifice, other deities may receive offerings as well during this phase. This happens for example in [Cato, De Agricultura 134], where Ianus and Iuppiter receive cakes and wine in the style of a postfatio after the entrails of the sow are cut, but before the entrails are actually given to Ceres. On the other hand, [Cicero, De Natura Deorum, II.67] says that Vesta is the last deity to receive offerings during sacrifices for she governs the sacrificial fire. This is confirmed by [Cato, De Agricultura, 132], where the reader is given the option to offer to Vesta after Iuppiter Dapalis has received his share of the feast.
+
Besides the main deity of the sacrifice, other deities may receive offerings as well during this phase. This happens for example in [Cato, De Agricultura 134], where Ianus and Iuppiter receive cakes and wine in the style of a ''postfatio'' after the entrails of the sow are cut, but before the entrails are actually given to Ceres. On the other hand, [Cicero, De Natura Deorum, II.67] says that Vesta is the last deity to receive offerings during sacrifices for she governs the sacrificial fire. This is confirmed by [Cato, De Agricultura, 132], where the reader is given the option to offer to Vesta after Iuppiter Dapalis has received his share of the feast.
  
 
+
=== ''Profanatio'' ===
== Profanatio ==
+
  
 
Usually, if the sacrifice is not in honour of the gods of Hades, only a small fraction of it is actually offered to the deity, the rest being eaten by the humans, as if the humans were now guests of the deity to whom the offerings were given. In order to make this possible, the sacrificer must profanate the offerings (i.e. make the given offerings become again human property) with his touch, a procedure explicitly instructed in [Cato, De Agricultura, 132].
 
Usually, if the sacrifice is not in honour of the gods of Hades, only a small fraction of it is actually offered to the deity, the rest being eaten by the humans, as if the humans were now guests of the deity to whom the offerings were given. In order to make this possible, the sacrificer must profanate the offerings (i.e. make the given offerings become again human property) with his touch, a procedure explicitly instructed in [Cato, De Agricultura, 132].
  
 
+
=== ''Epulum'' ===
== Epulum ==
+
 
+
  
 
After the profanation, the remaining offerings are eaten by the sacrificer and sometimes the other officiants, family and guests in a banquet. During the banquet, people sometimes address the deities, making additional offerings and asking for favours and blessings in return.
 
After the profanation, the remaining offerings are eaten by the sacrificer and sometimes the other officiants, family and guests in a banquet. During the banquet, people sometimes address the deities, making additional offerings and asking for favours and blessings in return.
 
  
 
== Appendix ==
 
== Appendix ==
 
  
 
The table below provides some general guidelines for the offerings and sacrificial procedures that are most propitious to specific deities. It is by no means an exhaustive reference and it will be expanded in the future. Moreover, some of the data (namely in what concerns blood sacrifice) is based on the public cult, which means that in a domestic context there could be some variations and offerings would be typically more modest. Variations related to specific rites/celebrations and/or specific aspects of the deities are also not reflected in the table.
 
The table below provides some general guidelines for the offerings and sacrificial procedures that are most propitious to specific deities. It is by no means an exhaustive reference and it will be expanded in the future. Moreover, some of the data (namely in what concerns blood sacrifice) is based on the public cult, which means that in a domestic context there could be some variations and offerings would be typically more modest. Variations related to specific rites/celebrations and/or specific aspects of the deities are also not reflected in the table.
  
<nowiki><TABLE height="100" width="100%" border=1>
+
{| style="text-align:left"
    <TBODY>
+
!Deity
    <TR>
+
!Character
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=109><B>Deity</B></TD>
+
!Rite
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=109><B>Character</B></TD>
+
!Known Inanimate Offerings
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=109><B>Rite</B></TD>
+
!Known Living Offerings
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=109><B>Known Inanimate Offerings</B></TD>
+
!Sources
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=109><B>Known Living Offerings</B></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=109><B>Comments</B></TD>
+
! [[Penates]] (domestic gods) in general  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=109><B>Sources</B></TD>
+
| Domestic  
    </TR>
+
| [[Ritus Romanus]]
    <TR>
+
| incense, wine, cakes, food, etc.  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>Penates  
+
| ewe-lamb (see below on the Lares Familiares), cow<br/>  
(domestic gods) in general</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=150><FONT color=#800000
+
*Cicero, De Divinatione, II.39
size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
*Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 2.23
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>Ritus  
+
*Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed. p.298
Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|VI|2042}}
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>incense,  
+
|-valign="top"
wine, cakes, food, etc.</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Lar Familiaris]] / Lares Familiares  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>ewe-lamb (see  
+
| Domestic  
below on the Lares Familiares), cow<BR></FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>The Penates
+
| incense, wine, food (namely fruits and roasted meat with ''mola salsa''), garlands of flowers (to adorn the Lararium and not to be burnt).
were the set of gods worshiped in a household. This row presents default
+
| ewe-lamb, pig, ram (funeral)  
guidelines for their worship. The specificities of some gods are presented
+
|
below.</FONT></TD>
+
*Plautus, Aulularia
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=150><FONT color=#800000 size=2>[Cicero, De  
+
*Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11
Divinatione, II.39]<BR>[Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities,  
+
*Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 28.27
2.23]<BR>[Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed. p.298]<BR>[CIL  
+
*Varro in Nonius Marcellus, De Compendiosa Doctrina, Lindsay ed. p.554 1-2
6.2042]</FONT></TD>
+
*Deutero-Servius, Aeneidos, 1.730
    </TR>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 2.633
    <TR>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 2.631-634
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=420><FONT size=2>Lar Familiaris / Lares  
+
*Valerius Maximus, Memorable deeds and sayings, 2.5.5
Familiares</FONT></TD>
+
*Horatius, Satries, 2.5.14
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=420><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
*Horatius, Odes, 3.23.4
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=420><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 1.3.33 seq.
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=420><FONT size=2>incense, wine, food (namely  
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.23
fruits and roasted meat with <I>mola salsa</I>), garlands of flowers</FONT></TD>
+
*Virgilius, Bucolics, 1.43
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=420><FONT size=2>ewe-lamb, pig, ram  
+
|-valign="top"
(funeral)</FONT></TD>
+
! personal [[Genius]] or [[Iuno]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=420><FONT size=2>Flowers are to adorn the
+
| Domestic  
Lararium and not to be burnt.</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=420><FONT size=2>[Plautus, Aulularia]
+
| incense, wine, cakes of boiled salted wheat (''liba'')  
[Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11]<BR>[Plinius, Naturalis Historia,  
+
| two-month old piglet (on the Saturnalia). Blood sacrifice was not recommended on one's birthday.
28.27]<BR>[Varro in Nonius Marcellus, De Compendiosa Doctrina, Lindsay ed.<FONT
+
|
color=#800000> </FONT>p.554 1-2]<BR>[Deutero-Servius, Aeneidos,  
+
*Persius, Satires, 2.1-3
1.730]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 2.633]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 2.631-634]<BR>[Valerius  
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 2.6.8
Maximus, Memorable deeds and sayings, 2.5.5]<BR>[Horatius, Satries,  
+
*Ovidius, Tristia, 5.5.12
2.5.14]<BR>[Horatius, Odes, 3.23.4]<BR>[Tibullus, Elegies, 1.3.33  
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 4.6.14
seq.]<BR>[Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.23]<BR>[Virgilius, Bucolics,  
+
*Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.84
1.43]</FONT></TD>
+
*Varro in Censorinus, De Die Natali, 2.2
    </TR>
+
*Horatius, Odes, 3.17.14-16
    <TR>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=195><FONT size=2>personal Genius or  
+
! [[Manes]]
Iuno</FONT></TD>
+
| Underworld  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=195><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus (Banquet can take place in the presence of the deceased.)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=195><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| unmixed wine, fresh milk, blood of sacrificial victims, roses, violets, black beans, salted corn, wheat mixed with wine (Inanimate offerings are dropped/poured to the ground in libation without burning.)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=195><FONT size=2>incense, wine, cakes of  
+
| ewe, pig, black bull-calves
boiled salted wheat (<I>liba</I>)</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=195><FONT size=2>two-month old piglet (on  
+
*Virgilius, Aeneidos, 5.55-103
the Saturnalia)&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=195><FONT size=2>Blood sacrifice was not  
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 2.535-540
recommended on one's birthday</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=195><FONT size=2>[Persius, Satires,  
+
! [[Mania]] / [[Mater Larum]] (mother of the Lares)  
2.1-3]<BR>[Tibullus, Elegies, 2.6.8]<BR>[Ovidius, Tristia, 5.5.12]<BR>[Tibullus,  
+
| Underworld  
Elegies, 4.6.14]<BR>[Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.84]<BR>[Varro in  
+
| Ritus Romanus  
Censorinus, De Die Natali, 2.2]<BR>[Horatius, Odes, 3.17.14-16]</FONT></TD>
+
| garlic, poppy heads (The poppy heads seem to have replaced primitive human sacrifices of children.)
    </TR>
+
| sheep
    <TR>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=120><FONT size=2>Manes</FONT></TD>
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 1.7.35 seq.
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=120><FONT size=2>Underworld</FONT></TD>
+
*ILS 5047
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>unmixed wine, fresh milk,  
+
! [[Lar]] / [[Genius Loci]]
blood of sacrificial victims, roses, violets, black beans, salted corn, wheat  
+
| Domestic/Chthonic
mixed with wine</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>ewe, pig, black
+
| fruits of the Earth (namely first samplings), wine, garlands of flowers (Inanimate offerings should be dropped/poured to the ground or natural altar in libation.)
bull-calves</FONT></TD>
+
| pig, heifer, ewe-lamb
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>Inanimate offerings are  
+
|
dropped/poured to the ground in libation without burning. Banquet can take place
+
*[[Cato]], [[De Agricultura 139 - 140]]
in the presence of the deceased.</FONT></TD>
+
*Apuleius, Apologia, 56.5-6
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>[Virgilius, Aeneidos,  
+
*Apuleius, Florides, 1.3-4
5.55-103]<BR>[Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti,  
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.19-24
2.535-540]</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
    </TR>
+
! [[Lares Compitales]]
    <TR>
+
| Cthonic
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=75><FONT size=2>Mania / Mater Larum (mother  
+
| Ritus Romanus  
of the Lares)</FONT></TD>
+
| ?  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=75><FONT size=2>Underworld</FONT></TD>
+
| pig shining with grease  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=75><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=75><FONT size=2>garlic, poppy  
+
*[Propertius, Elegies, 4.1.23]  
heads</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=75><FONT size=2>sheep</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Vesta]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=75><FONT size=2>The poppy heads seem to have  
+
| Domestic  
replaced primitive human sacrifices of children.</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=75><FONT size=2>[Macrobius, Saturnalia,  
+
| incense, meat  
1.7.35 seq.]<BR>[ILS 5047]</FONT></TD>
+
| sheep  
    </TR>
+
|
    <TR>
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 132]]
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=120><FONT size=2>Lar/Genius Loci</FONT></TD>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 3.418
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=120><FONT
+
*ILS 5047
size=2>Domestic/Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Ceres]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>fruits of the Earth (namely  
+
| Chthonic
first samplings), wine, garlands of flowers</FONT></TD>
+
|Ritus Romanus (a part of the cult celebrated on the Aventine Hill corresponded to the Mysteries of Eleusis and was considered Graeca Sacra and thus not included in the Roman public cult)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>pig, heifer,
+
| spelt cakes, incense, salt, bread, first samplings of ears of wheat, oak leaves, wine, honeycombs mixed with milk  
ewe-lamb</FONT></TD>
+
| sow (sometimes pregnant)  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>Inanimate offerings should  
+
|
be dropped/poured to the ground or natural altar in libation</FONT></TD>
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 134]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=120><FONT size=2>[
+
*Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.11-18
<CENTER><A href="cato_dig.html" target="_blank">Cato, De Agricultura 139 -  
+
*Virgilius, Georgics, 1.338-349
140</a></CENTER>]<BR>[Apuleius, Apologia, 56.5-6]<BR>[Apuleius, Florides,  
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 2.520
1.3-4]<BR>[Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.19-24]</FONT></TD>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 1.657-704
    </TR>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 4.393-416
    <TR>
+
*Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.433
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Lares Compitales</FONT></TD>
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.11.10
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Tellus]] (Ceres and Tellus were usually identified and normally the offerings that suited Ceres also suited Tellus.)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
| Chthonic
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>pig shining with  
+
| Ritus Romanus
grease</FONT></TD>
+
| spelt cakes
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30>
+
| sow (sometimes pregnant), pregnant cow
 
+
|
            <p>&nbsp;</p>
+
*Ovid, Fasti, 1.657-704
        </TD>
+
*Ovid, Fasti, 629-636
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>[Propertius, Elegies,  
+
|-valign="top"
4.1.23]</FONT></TD>
+
! Ianus  
    </TR>
+
| Domestic (doors, passages) / Celestial (beginings and ends)  
    <TR>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Vesta</FONT></TD>
+
| incense, wine, cakes (''strues'')  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
| ram  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense, meat</FONT></TD>
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 141]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;sheep</FONT></TD>
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 134]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*Varro, De Lingua Latina, 6.12
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;<A
+
*ILS 5047
href="/religio_romana/cato_jupiter.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura,
+
|-valign="top"
132]<BR></a>[Ovidius, Fasti, 3.418]<BR>[ILS 5047]</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Iuppiter]]
    </TR>
+
| Celestial  
    <TR>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=135><FONT size=2>Ceres</FONT></TD>
+
| incense, wine (namely first samplings), cakes (''fertum''), meat, spelt cake (''far''), fruits  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=135><FONT size=2>Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
| white heifer, ox, ewe-lamb, whether, ''suovetaurilia'' (sheep, pig and ox), bull?, ram? (According to the ancients books, only castrated victims should be offered to Iuppiter.)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=135><SPAN
+
|
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 141]]
size=2>Ritus Romanus (a part of the cult celebrated on the Aventine Hill  
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 134]]
corresponded to the Mysteries of Eleusis and was considered Graeca Sacra and  
+
*Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.40.27 and 57.16-18
thus not included in the Roman public cult)</FONT></SPAN></TD>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 1.55-57
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=135><FONT size=2>spelt cakes, incense, salt,  
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 1.83 seq.
bread, first samplings of ears of wheat, oak leaves, wine, honeycombs mixed with  
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 2.67-70
milk</FONT></TD>
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 3.730
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=135><FONT size=2>sow (sometimes  
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 4.863-900
pregnant)</FONT></TD>
+
*Servius, ad Virg. Eclog., 8.82
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=135>
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.3
 
+
*{{CIL|VI|2065}}
            <p>&nbsp;</p>
+
*ILS 5047
        </TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=135><FONT size=2><BR><A
+
! [[Iuno]]
href="cato_ceres.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 134]</a><BR>[Tibullus, Elegies,  
+
| Celestial  
1.1.11-18]<BR>[Virgilius, Georgics, 1.338-349]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti,  
+
| Ritus Romanus  
2.520]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 1.657-704]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 4.393-416]<BR>[Ovid,  
+
| incense, wine  
Metamorphoses, 10.433]<BR>[Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.11.10]<BR></FONT></TD>
+
| bull, ram, cow, sheep, ''suovetaurilia'' (sheep, pig and bull),  
    </TR>
+
|
    <TR>
+
*Cato, [[De Agricultura 134]]
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Tellus</FONT></TD>
+
*ILS 5047
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2><SPAN
+
*[[Feriale Duranum]]
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Chtonic</SPAN></FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Mars]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>spelt cakes</FONT></TD>
+
| Celestial  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>sow (sometimes pregnant),
+
| Ritus Romanus  
pregnant cow</FONT></TD>
+
| spelt, bacon fat, meat, wine, cakes (''strues'' and ''fertum'')  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;Ceres and Tellus were  
+
| ''suovetaurilia'' (sheep, pig and bull), bull, ram (Entrails were offered raw)
usually identified and normally the offerings that suited Ceres also suited  
+
|
Tellus.</FONT></TD>
+
*Suetonius, Vita Divi Augusti, 1
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;[Ovid, Fasti,  
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4
1.657-704]<BR>[Ovid, Fasti, 629-636]</FONT></TD>
+
*ILS 5047
    </TR>
+
|-valign="top"
    <TR>
+
! [[Saturnus]]
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Ianus</FONT></TD>
+
| Chthonic
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Domestic (doors, passages) /  
+
| [[Ritus Graecus]] (although he is a very ancient Roman deity).  
Celestial (beginings and ends)</FONT></TD>
+
| ?
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| pig?
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>incense, wine, cakes  
+
|
(<I>strues</I>)</FONT></TD>
+
*Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.274.29-32
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>ram</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
| [[Salus]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;<A
+
| Celestial  
href="cato_mars.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 141]<BR></a><A
+
| Ritus Romanus  
href="cato_ceres.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 134]<BR></a>[Varro, De Lingua  
+
| ?  
Latina, 6.12]<BR>[ILS 5047]<A href="cato_mars.html"><BR></A></FONT></TD>
+
| cow  
    </TR>
+
|
    <TR>
+
*{{CIL|VI|2065}}
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Iuppiter</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Minerva]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| Celestial  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>incense, wine (namely first  
+
| Ritus Romanus  
samplings), cakes (<I>fertum</I>), meat, spelt cake (<I>far</I>),  
+
| ?  
fruits</FONT></TD>
+
| cow, ''suovetaurilia'' (sheep, pig and bull),  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>white heifer, ox, ewe-lamb,  
+
|
whether, <I>suovetaurilia</I> (sheep, pig and ox), bull?, ram?</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|VI|2065}}
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>According to the ancients  
+
|-valign="top"
books, only castrated victims should be offered to Iuppiter.&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Victoria]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2><A
+
| Celestial  
href="cato_mars.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 141]<BR></a><A
+
| Ritus Romanus  
href="cato_ceres.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 134]</a>&nbsp;<BR>[Festus-Paul, On the  
+
| incense  
meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.40.27 and 57.16-18]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti,  
+
| cow  
1.55-57]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 1.83 seq.]<BR>&nbsp;[Ovidius, Fasti,  
+
|
2.67-70]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 3.730]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti, 4.863-900]<BR>[Servius,&nbsp;
+
*Ambrosius, Epistles 18.31
ad Virg. Eclog., 8.82]<BR>[Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.3]<BR>[CIL 6.2065]<A
+
*[[Feriale Duranum]]
href="cato_ceres.html"><BR></A>[ILS 5047]<BR></FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
    </TR>
+
! [[Dis]]
    <TR>
+
| Underworld  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Iuno</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
| ?  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| black sheep and other black victims  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense, wine</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>bull, ram, cow, sheep,  
+
*Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5
<I>suovetaurilia</I> (sheep, pig and bull),</FONT></TD>
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.9.10-12
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2><A
+
| [[Proserpina]]
href="cato_ceres.html" target="_blank">[Cato, De Agricultura 134]&nbsp;<BR></a>[ILS 5047]<BR>[Feriale  
+
| Underworld  
Duranum]</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
    </TR>
+
| ?  
    <TR>
+
| black victims  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=45><FONT size=2>Mars</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=45><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
*Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2><SPAN
+
! [[Liber Pater]]
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">spelt,  
+
| Chthonic
bacon fat, meat, wine, </SPAN>cakes (<I>strues</I> and  
+
| Ritus Romanus (the Bachannalia are considered Graeca Sacra, i.e. a foreign rite not included in the Roman public cult )  
<I>fertum</I>)</FONT></TD>
+
| cakes (''liba''), libations of must (namely first samplings)  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2><I>suovetaurilia</I> (sheep,  
+
| ?  
pig and bull), bull, ram</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>Entrails were offered  
+
*Ovid, Fasti, 3.713-740
raw</FONT></TD>
+
*Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.8
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>[Suetonius, Vita Divi  
+
*Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.423.1 seq.
Augusti, 1]<BR>[Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4]<BR>[ILS 5047]&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
    </TR>
+
! [[Neptunus]]
    <TR>
+
| Waterly  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Saturnus</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
| ?  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2><SPAN
+
| bull  
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Ritus
+
|
Graecus</SPAN></FONT></TD>
+
*Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>pig?</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Diana]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Saturnus is worshiped
+
| Celestial  
according to the <I>Ritus Graecus</I> although he is a very ancient Roman  
+
| Ritus Romanus (although at the Ludi Saeculares she was honoured - like any other deity - ''Graeco Ritu'')  
deity.</FONT></TD>
+
| cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Festus-Paul, On the meaning  
+
| hind, white she-goat?, cow  
of the words, Lindsay ed., p.274.29-32] </FONT></TD>
+
|
    </TR>
+
*Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 1.45
    <TR>
+
*Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27, 23.5
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><SPAN
+
*Ovidius, Fasti, 1.387-388
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
+
*{{CIL|VI|32323}}
size=2>Salus</FONT></SPAN></TD>
+
*Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 7.3.1
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Carna]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
| Domestic  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cow</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
| beans mixed with hot spelt, bacon  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[CIL  
+
| -  
6.2065]</FONT></TD>
+
|
    </TR>
+
*[Ovid, Fasti, 6.169-170]  
    <TR>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Minerva</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Robigo]]
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
| Chthonic
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
| incense, wine  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cow, <I>suovetaurilia</I>
+
| red (?) dog, ewe, unweaned puppy  
(sheep, pig and bull),</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*Columella, De Re Rustica, 342 seq.
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[CIL  
+
*[Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.358.27-30]  
6.2065]</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
    </TR>
+
! [[Volcanus]]
    <TR>
+
| Fiery (destructive)  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Victoria</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
| fish, red (?) animals (Victims were burned alive.)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cow</FONT></TD>
+
*Varro, De Lingua Latina, 6.20
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.276.3
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Ambrosius, Epistles  
+
|-valign="top"
18.31]<BR>[Feriale Duranum]</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Genius Augusti]]
    </TR>
+
| Celestial  
    <TR>
+
|Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Dis</FONT></TD>
+
| incense, wine  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Underworld</FONT></TD>
+
| bull, bull-calf  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
*Petronius, Satiricon, 60.7
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>black sheep and other black  
+
*Horatius, Odes, 4.5.30 seq.
victims</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|VI32352}}
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Valerius Maximus, Factorum  
+
! [[Iuno Augustae]]
et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5]<BR>[Macrobius, Saturnalia,  
+
| Celestial  
3.9.10-12]</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
    </TR>
+
| incense, wine  
    <TR>
+
| cow  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=20><FONT size=2>Proserpina</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=20><FONT size=2>Underworld</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|VI|2043}}
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=20><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=20><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Numen Augusti]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=20><FONT size=2>black victims</FONT></TD>
+
| Celestial  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=20><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=20><FONT size=2>[Valerius Maximus, Factorum  
+
| incense, wine  
et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5]</FONT></TD>
+
| bull-calf  
    </TR>
+
|
    <TR>
+
*[ILS 154]
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Liber Pater</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|XII|4333}}
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus (the  
+
! [[Lares Augusti]]
Bachannalia are considered Graeca Sacra, i.e. a foreign rite not included in the  
+
| Domestic  
Roman public cult )</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>cakes (<I>liba</I>),  
+
| same as Lares Familiares  
libations of must (namely first samplings)</FONT></TD>
+
| same as Lares Familiares, wether  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*[ILS 5047]  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>[Ovid, Fasti,  
+
|-valign="top"
3.713-740]<BR>[Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.8]<BR>[Festus-Paul, On the  
+
! [[Divus]] (Probably the same as Iuppiter)
meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.423.1 seq.]</FONT></TD>
+
| Celestial  
    </TR>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
    <TR>
+
| ?  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Neptunus</FONT></TD>
+
| ox, sheep  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=60><FONT size=2>Waterly</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
*ILS 5047
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
*[[Feriale Duranum]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>bull</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Diva]] (Probably the same as Iuno)
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=60><FONT size=2>[Macrobius, Saturnalia,  
+
| Celestial  
3.10.4]</FONT></TD>
+
| Ritus Romanus  
    </TR>
+
| ?  
    <TR>
+
| cow  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Diana</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
*{{CIL|VI|32349}}
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus (although at  
+
|-valign="top"
the Ludi Saeculares she was honoured - like any other deity - Graeco  
+
! [[Apollo]]
Ritu)</FONT></TD>
+
| Celestial  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cakes of cheese, cakes of  
+
| Ritus Graecus  
honey, cakes of parsley</FONT></TD>
+
| cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley,<br/>crowns of laurel  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp; hind, white she-goat?,  
+
| bull  
cow</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
*[Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Livius, Ab Urbe Condita,  
+
*{{CIL|VI|32323}}
1.45]<BR>[Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27, 23.5]<BR>[Ovidius, Fasti,  
+
*Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27, 23.5
1.387-388]<BR>[CIL 6.32323]<BR>[Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum  
+
|-valign="top"
Memorabilium, 7.3.1]</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Ilithyia]]
    </TR>
+
| Domestic  
    <TR>
+
| Ritus Graecus (at least at the Ludi Saeculares. Anyway she is a Greek deity)  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Carna</FONT></TD>
+
| cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley  
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
| -  
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>beans mixed with hot spelt,  
+
*{{CIL|VI|32323}}
bacon</FONT></TD>
+
|-valign="top"
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>-</FONT></TD>
+
! [[Priapus]]
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19>
+
|Domestic/Fertility  
 
+
| Ritus Romanus  
            <p>&nbsp;</p>
+
| milk, cakes (''liba'')  
        </TD>
+
|
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Ovid, Fasti,  
+
|
6.169-170]</FONT></TD>
+
*Virgilius, Eclogae, ''7.33-34
    </TR>
+
|}
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Robigo</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Chtonic</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense, wine</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>red (?) dog, ewe, unweaned  
+
puppy</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[Columella, De Re Rustica,  
+
342 seq.]<BR>[Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed.,  
+
p.358.27-30]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Volcanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Fiery  
+
(destructive)</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>fish, red (?)  
+
animals</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>Victims were burned  
+
alive</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>[Varro, De Lingua Latina,  
+
6.20]<BR>[Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed.,  
+
p.276.3]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Genius Augusti</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=30><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><SPAN
+
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
+
size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></SPAN></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>incense, wine</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>bull, bull-calf</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=30><FONT size=2>[Petronius, Satiricon,  
+
60.7]<BR>[Horatius, Odes, 4.5.30 seq.]<BR>[CIL 6.32352]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Iuno Augustae</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense, wine</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cow</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[CIL  
+
VI.2043]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Numen Augusti</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>incense, wine</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>bull-calf</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[ILS 154], [<SPAN
+
style="FONT-FAMILY: Courier New; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">CIL  
+
12.4333</SPAN>]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Lares Augusti</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>same as Lares  
+
Familiares</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>same as Lares Familiares,  
+
wether</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[ILS 5047]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><SPAN
+
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
+
size=2>Divus</FONT></SPAN></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>ox, sheep</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Probably the same as
+
Iuppiter</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>&nbsp;[ILS 5047]<BR>[Feriale  
+
Duranum]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Diva</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>?</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>cow</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Probably the same as
+
Iuno</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>[CIL  
+
6.32349]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=45><FONT size=2>Apollo</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=45><FONT size=2>Celestial</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>Ritus Graecus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>cakes of cheese, cakes of  
+
honey, cakes of parsley,<BR>crowns of laurel</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>bull</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>&nbsp;</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>[Macrobius, Saturnalia,  
+
3.10.4]<BR>[CIL 6.32323]<BR>[Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27,  
+
23.5]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><SPAN
+
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT
+
size=2>Ilithyia</FONT></SPAN></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2>Domestic</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Graecus (at least at  
+
the Ludi Saeculares. Anyway she is a Greek deity)</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>cakes of cheese, cakes of  
+
honey, cakes of parsley</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>-</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45>
+
 
+
            <p>&nbsp;</p>
+
        </TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>[CIL  
+
6.32323]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    <TR>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT size=2><SPAN
+
style="FONT-FAMILY: Times New Roman; mso-fareast-font-family: Times New Roman; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Priapus</SPAN></FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="16%" height=19><FONT
+
size=2>Domestic/Fertility</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=19><FONT size=2>Ritus Romanus</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>milk, cakes  
+
(<I>liba</I>)</FONT></TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45>
+
 
+
            <p><FONT size=2>-</FONT></p>
+
        </TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45>
+
  
            <p>&nbsp;</p>
+
Based on work by [[Antonius Gryllus Graecus (Nova Roma)|Antonius Gryllus Graecus]], Pontifex.
        </TD>
+
        <TD align=middle width="17%" height=45><FONT size=2>[Virgilius, Eclogae<I
+
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">,
+
</I>7.33-34]</FONT></TD>
+
    </TR>
+
    </TBODY>
+
  
</TABLE></nowiki>
+
[[Category:Religio Romana (Nova Roma)]]
 +
[[Category:Ritus (Nova Roma)]]

Revision as of 21:04, 12 May 2010

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The main source for the study of domestic Roman sacrifices is Cato in his work De Agricultura. Comparison with surviving descriptions of public sacrifices reveals that private and public sacrifices followed much the same set of guidelines. This allows us to fill the gaps left open by Cato with elements that survived in the descriptions of public sacrifices. Several public sacrifices were originally private to some families, the state having decided to preserve them (e.g. after the lineage of the family was broken) because of their importance to the city of Rome as a whole. We can even go further and state that the public cult in Rome was nothing more than a domestic cult adapted to the scale of the city. Just like any private household, the city had its own hearth (the Temple of Vesta) where Vesta and the Penates publici (Public Penates) were honoured.

This page provides a template for a standard traditional domestic roman sacrifice, as well as information about the correct offerings to give to the main deities. Non-standard sacrifices (e.g. lectisternia, sellisternia, devotiones) or sacrifices with special mystery rites performed at specific occasions and/or stemming from a long tradition (the meaning of many being already forgotten by the time of the Republic), fall outside the scope of the present work. On the other hand, most simple daily rites and offerings can be considered as consisting of a small subset of the procedures described below (e.g. libation of wine, daily offering of incense). The provided template will be illustrated with the original description of a simple offering to Iuppiter Dapalis Cato, De Agricultura, 132, as well as other sources when needed.

We can divide the standard sacrificial procedures in several parts or moments: 1. Praeparatio, 2. Praefatio, 3. Precatio, 4. Immolatio, 5. Redditio, 6. Profanatio, 7. Epulum.

The page finishes with an appendix which presents a table with the sacrificial details for specific deities. For any doubts or information on deities not included in the table feel free ask the Collegium Pontificum. You can also join the Religio Romana mailing list to discuss these and other related matters.

Contents

Praeparatio

In domestic sacrifices the preparation is easier. The sacrifice takes place in front of the lararium, usually placed near or above an hearth or fireplace (focus). If it is a blood sacrifice, it can be made on an outdoor lararium or on a focus prepared on purpose outside the house.

The sacrificer is usually the pater familias, but the mater familias can also sacrifice in some occasions (e.g. she sacrifices to her Iuno - guardian spirit or female equivalent of the Genius - on her birthday). Other members of the household can help to carry the offerings or other objects. In order to ensure that the words are correctly spoken, one of the assistants may be charged to read the words and whisper them to the sacrificer [Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 28.3.10]. The sacrificer should also bath himself before the sacrifice [Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 1.45].

Once the time comes, the officiants approach the lararium where an image of the deity honoured in the sacrifice is placed among the Penates (deities worshiped in the household). The sacrificer faces the lararium, while the assistants and audience remain on his back.

For more information regarding the preparation of the lararium and the sacrificial tools, please refer to the article on household worship.

For more information regarding the preparation of the lararium and the sacrificial tools, please refer to the article on household worship. For more information regarding posture and attitude during sacrifice, see the article on Posture and Gesture in Roman Prayer in our old website.

Praefatio

A more solemn sacrifice (namely a sacrifice of a living victim) starts with a praefatio, which consists on offerings of incense and wine where some deities are invited to witness the sacrifice. Small offerings like the offering to Iuppiter Dapalis (Cato, De Agricultura, 132) do not include a praefatio. Others (e.g. Cato, De Agricultura 134) seem to present two praefationes, one of incense and wine and another of cakes and wine. In temple sacrifices, the praefatio was performed before the temple entrance using a portable hearth, the foculus.

The praefatio starts with the invocation of Ianus (vide Cicero, De Natura Deorum, II.67), the god of beginnings. Cato adds Iuppiter (Cato, De Agricultura 141) and Iuno (Cato, De Agricultura 134). According to Ovidius, (Fasti, 6.303 seq.), Vesta can also be among the deities invoked in the praefatio, as she governs the fire of the hearth through which the offerings reach the gods (see Servius, ad Aen., 1.292). In [ILS154] the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed is addressed in the praefatio.

The following procedures illustrate a praefatio where the deities invoked are Ianus and Iuppiter. The prayers are based on Cato, De Agricultura 134.

1) The sacrificer will normally be wearing a toga (the toga praetexta is used by magistrates in public sacrifices). The sacrificer veils his head with the toga (called capite velato or cinctu Gabinio) as the deities invoked in the praefatio are to be honoured "ritu Romano" (according to the Roman rite). [[[CIL]] 32329] shows that this is true even if the main sacrifice is performed "ritu Graeco".
2) The sacrificer offers incense to Ianus as follows:

Iane pater, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi, domo, familiae.

“Father Ianus, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me, to my household and to my family.”

The sacrificer places the incense on the focus.
3) Then incense is offered to Iuppiter in the same way:

Iuppiter, te hoc ture ommovendo bonas preces precor, uti sies volens propitius mihi liberisque meis domo familiaeque meae.

“Iuppiter, in offering this incense to you I pray good prayers, so that you may be propitious to me and my children, to my house and to my household.”

The sacrificer places the incense on the focus.
4) Then an offering dish (patera) of wine is offered to Ianus:

"Iane pater, uti te ture ommovendo bonas preces bene precatus sum, eiusdem rei ergo macte vino inferio esto."

"Father Janus, as in offering to you the incense virtuous prayers were well prayed, for the sake of this be honoured by this wine offered in libation."

The sacrificer pours the wine on the focus.
5) Then the same to Iuppiter:

"Iuppiter macte isto ture esto, macte vino inferio esto."

"Iuppiter, be honoured by that incense, be honoured by this wine below."

The sacrificer pours the wine on the focus.

Precatio

The main sacrifice starts with a prayer directed to the deity in whose honour the sacrifice is performed. In this prayer, the sacrificer states the reason for the sacrifice, the goods that he will sacrifice, and the blessings he wants to receive in return. In [Horatius, Carmina, 3.23] it is suggested that the altar or lararium should be touched while the prayers are being said, which is confirmed by [Virgilius, Aeneis, 4.219]. According to Servius Honoratus, Varro wrote that this gesture is necessary to grant the good will of the deity [Servius, Aeneidos Commentarius, 4.219].

The following procedures illustrate the precatio. The prayer is taken from Cato, De Agricultura, 132, where the deity to be honoured in the sacrifice is Iuppiter Dapalis:

1) If the sacrifice is to be performed Graeco ritu, the sacrificer uncovers his head, adorns his head with a laurel crown and takes off his toga, becoming dressed with his tunic only (usually a fringed tunic).
2) The sacrificer washes his hands on a vessel placed beside him, or carried by one of the assistants. Although this is the usual place for this observance, [Cato, De Agricultura, 132] places the washing of the hands after the prayer in step 3.
3) The sacrificer touches the altar or lararium and addresses the deity with a prayer where the purpose and nature of the sacrifice are described:

"Iuppiter dapalis, quod tibi fieri oportet in domo familia mea culignam vini dapi, eius rei ergo macte hac illace dape pollucenda esto."

"Iuppiter Dapalis, because it is proper for a cup of wine to be given to you in the house of my family for the sacred feast, for the sake of this thing may you be honoured by this feast offering."

When the sacrifice was performed Graeco ritu, some Greek words could be interspersed in the Latin text.

Immolatio

This part only applies to blood sacrifices, i.e. when the offering is a living creature. As the Collegium Pontificum of Nova Roma has many reservations towards this type of sacrifice, the information in this section should be regarded as informative only with no intentions of motivating its practice. Although blood sacrifices were common in classical Rome, it must be said that the Religio Romana has also an ancient tradition for the absence of that practice as stated in [Ovid, Fasti, I.337]:

"Of old the means to win the goodwill of gods for man were spelt and the sparkling grains of pure salt. As yet no foreign ship had brought across the ocean waves the black-distilled myrrh; the Eufrates had sent no incense, India no balm, and the red saffron's filaments were still unknown. The altar was content to smoke with savine, and the laurel burned with crackling loud. To garlands woven of meadow flowers he who could violets add was rich indeed. The knife that now lays bare the bowels of the slaughtered bull had in sacred rites no work to do. (...)" (cf. Numa tradition.)

The immolation procedures are better known in the public context than in the domestic context. Nevertheless it is very likely that domestic sacrifices followed at least a subset (probably variable according to the habits and possibilities of each household) of the public sacrifices.

The sacrificed victims were always domestic animals carefully selected according to species, sex, colour and size, in order to match the nature of the deity to which they were offered. Male deities received male victims (some received castrated victims, others complete victims), while female deities received female victims. White victims were offered to the Celestial gods, black victims to the Underworld gods (Dii Inferi such as Dis, Proserpina, the Manes) or of the night, red victims were offered to Volcanus and Robigo. Pregnant sows were offered to Ceres and Tellus in some expiatory rites. Swines and rams were usually offered in funerary sacrifices.

Blood sacrifices required special preparation. The animals were washed and adorned with ribbons and strips of white or scarlet wool. The horns of the bovines were usually guilded and/or adorned with disk. The back of the porcines and bovines was covered with a richly decorated fringed coverture (dorsuale). The phases of the immolation were the following:

1) The first act was the consecration of the victim, which was different depending on the rite (ritus Romanus or ritus Graecus). According to the ritus Romanus, the sacrificer consecrated the victim by the mola salsa (roasted wheat flour with added salt originally made by the Vestales and thus associated with the fire of Vesta; the mola salsa is origin for the word immolatio or in-molatio), wine and the knife (mola, vino cultroque). In order to do this he powdered the back of the victim with the mola salsa, poured a little wine on its forehead with a patera, and finally passed the sacrificial knife along the back of the animal. In the ritus Graecus, the sacrificer consecrated the victim by dropping a few grains of corn and some drops of water on the head of the victim. He then cut some hair from the head of the victim and offered it on the fire.
2) After the consecration, the sacrificer or the butchers (victimarii) proceded to kill the victim (if butchers were available, the sacrificer would give the sign). The victim should show no sign of panic, otherwise that would be considered a bad omen and the sacrifice would be polluted. On the contrary, the victim should show its consent by lowering its head helped by the sacrificer. Bigger victims (e.g. bovines) were firstly stunned with a poleaxe and then bled to death. Smaller victims had their throat cut.
3) The victim was then laid on its back, and its belly was opened. With the help of its assistants (namely the haruspex), the sacrificer verified if the victim had been well accepted through the examination of the entrails: the liver, the lungs, the biliary blister, peritoneum and heart. If entrails did not present any anomalies it was considered that the sacrifice had been accepted (litatio) and it could proceed. Otherwise the sacrifice was aborted and had to restart with new victims. This was repeated until the litatio was achieved. Sometimes the entrails could be examined in Etruscan fashion with the purpose of divination (haruspicatio).
4) The victim was then divided. The entrails (exta) were destined for the deity. The rest would normally be destined to the humans, being eaten in a banquet (epulum) after the sacrifice. With the exception of some deities of more savage nature (e.g. Mars - see [Suetonius, Vita Divi Augusti, 1] and [Arnobius, Adversus Nationes, 2.68]), the entrails were cooked before being offered. Those of bovines were boiled, while those of porcines and ovines were grilled on skewers. The entrails were then powdered with mola salsa and wine before being offered to the deity (see below).

Redditio

In this phase the offerings are actually given to the deity. Usually, only a part of the offerings is actually given to the deity, the rest being profanated and consumed by the humans after the sacrifice. An exception is when the sacrifice is performed in honour of the Underworld gods (e.g. Dis and Proserpina, etc.), as no one can sit at the same table with the gods that govern Death and the Dead.

If the sacrifice is performed in honour of a water divinity, it is usually thrown to the water (a river, sea, spring, etc.). If the sacrifice is performed in honour of a chtonic deity (e.g. Lar/Genius Loci, Ceres, etc.) the offering is simply thrown to the ground or burned inside a ditch previously excavated for the effect. The latter also applies to the Underworld gods, in which case the offering is completely burned on the ditch. For other deities, including the domestic deities (Genii, Lares and Penates, etc.), the offerings are normally given through the fire of the focus. Of course there were some variations depending of the specific deity or the specific offering (e.g. flowers were usually to be offered as a decoration and not to be burned; the same was true regarding the ears of grain offered to Ceres).

While giving each offering, the act is confirmed with words. The following example is again taken from [Cato, De Agricultura, 132]. Like many other public and private sacrifices it takes the form of "[Deity (voc.)], macte [offerings (abl.)] esto":

"Iuppiter dapalis, macte istace dape pollucenda esto, macte vino inferio esto."

"Iupiter Dapalis, may you be honoured by this feast offering, may you be honoured by the wine offered below."

Meat offerings are usually sprinkled with wine and salt or mola salsa (roasted wheat flour with added salt) before being served to the deities.

Besides the main deity of the sacrifice, other deities may receive offerings as well during this phase. This happens for example in [Cato, De Agricultura 134], where Ianus and Iuppiter receive cakes and wine in the style of a postfatio after the entrails of the sow are cut, but before the entrails are actually given to Ceres. On the other hand, [Cicero, De Natura Deorum, II.67] says that Vesta is the last deity to receive offerings during sacrifices for she governs the sacrificial fire. This is confirmed by [Cato, De Agricultura, 132], where the reader is given the option to offer to Vesta after Iuppiter Dapalis has received his share of the feast.

Profanatio

Usually, if the sacrifice is not in honour of the gods of Hades, only a small fraction of it is actually offered to the deity, the rest being eaten by the humans, as if the humans were now guests of the deity to whom the offerings were given. In order to make this possible, the sacrificer must profanate the offerings (i.e. make the given offerings become again human property) with his touch, a procedure explicitly instructed in [Cato, De Agricultura, 132].

Epulum

After the profanation, the remaining offerings are eaten by the sacrificer and sometimes the other officiants, family and guests in a banquet. During the banquet, people sometimes address the deities, making additional offerings and asking for favours and blessings in return.

Appendix

The table below provides some general guidelines for the offerings and sacrificial procedures that are most propitious to specific deities. It is by no means an exhaustive reference and it will be expanded in the future. Moreover, some of the data (namely in what concerns blood sacrifice) is based on the public cult, which means that in a domestic context there could be some variations and offerings would be typically more modest. Variations related to specific rites/celebrations and/or specific aspects of the deities are also not reflected in the table.

Deity Character Rite Known Inanimate Offerings Known Living Offerings Sources
Penates (domestic gods) in general Domestic Ritus Romanus incense, wine, cakes, food, etc. ewe-lamb (see below on the Lares Familiares), cow
  • Cicero, De Divinatione, II.39
  • Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Roman Antiquities, 2.23
  • Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed. p.298
  • {{{2}}}: VI 2042 (EN DE)
Lar Familiaris / Lares Familiares Domestic Ritus Romanus incense, wine, food (namely fruits and roasted meat with mola salsa), garlands of flowers (to adorn the Lararium and not to be burnt). ewe-lamb, pig, ram (funeral)
  • Plautus, Aulularia
  • Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11
  • Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 28.27
  • Varro in Nonius Marcellus, De Compendiosa Doctrina, Lindsay ed. p.554 1-2
  • Deutero-Servius, Aeneidos, 1.730
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 2.633
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 2.631-634
  • Valerius Maximus, Memorable deeds and sayings, 2.5.5
  • Horatius, Satries, 2.5.14
  • Horatius, Odes, 3.23.4
  • Tibullus, Elegies, 1.3.33 seq.
  • Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.23
  • Virgilius, Bucolics, 1.43
personal Genius or Iuno Domestic Ritus Romanus incense, wine, cakes of boiled salted wheat (liba) two-month old piglet (on the Saturnalia). Blood sacrifice was not recommended on one's birthday.
  • Persius, Satires, 2.1-3
  • Tibullus, Elegies, 2.6.8
  • Ovidius, Tristia, 5.5.12
  • Tibullus, Elegies, 4.6.14
  • Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.84
  • Varro in Censorinus, De Die Natali, 2.2
  • Horatius, Odes, 3.17.14-16
Manes Underworld Ritus Romanus (Banquet can take place in the presence of the deceased.) unmixed wine, fresh milk, blood of sacrificial victims, roses, violets, black beans, salted corn, wheat mixed with wine (Inanimate offerings are dropped/poured to the ground in libation without burning.) ewe, pig, black bull-calves
  • Virgilius, Aeneidos, 5.55-103
  • Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 21.11
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 2.535-540
Mania / Mater Larum (mother of the Lares) Underworld Ritus Romanus garlic, poppy heads (The poppy heads seem to have replaced primitive human sacrifices of children.) sheep
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 1.7.35 seq.
  • ILS 5047
Lar / Genius Loci Domestic/Chthonic Ritus Romanus fruits of the Earth (namely first samplings), wine, garlands of flowers (Inanimate offerings should be dropped/poured to the ground or natural altar in libation.) pig, heifer, ewe-lamb
Lares Compitales Cthonic Ritus Romanus  ? pig shining with grease
  • [Propertius, Elegies, 4.1.23]
Vesta Domestic Ritus Romanus incense, meat sheep
Ceres Chthonic Ritus Romanus (a part of the cult celebrated on the Aventine Hill corresponded to the Mysteries of Eleusis and was considered Graeca Sacra and thus not included in the Roman public cult) spelt cakes, incense, salt, bread, first samplings of ears of wheat, oak leaves, wine, honeycombs mixed with milk sow (sometimes pregnant)
  • Cato, De Agricultura 134
  • Tibullus, Elegies, 1.1.11-18
  • Virgilius, Georgics, 1.338-349
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 2.520
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 1.657-704
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 4.393-416
  • Ovid, Metamorphoses, 10.433
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.11.10
Tellus (Ceres and Tellus were usually identified and normally the offerings that suited Ceres also suited Tellus.) Chthonic Ritus Romanus spelt cakes sow (sometimes pregnant), pregnant cow
  • Ovid, Fasti, 1.657-704
  • Ovid, Fasti, 629-636
Ianus Domestic (doors, passages) / Celestial (beginings and ends) Ritus Romanus incense, wine, cakes (strues) ram
Iuppiter Celestial Ritus Romanus incense, wine (namely first samplings), cakes (fertum), meat, spelt cake (far), fruits white heifer, ox, ewe-lamb, whether, suovetaurilia (sheep, pig and ox), bull?, ram? (According to the ancients books, only castrated victims should be offered to Iuppiter.)
  • Cato, De Agricultura 141
  • Cato, De Agricultura 134
  • Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.40.27 and 57.16-18
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 1.55-57
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 1.83 seq.
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 2.67-70
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 3.730
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 4.863-900
  • Servius, ad Virg. Eclog., 8.82
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.3
  • {{{2}}}: VI 2065 (EN DE)
  • ILS 5047
Iuno Celestial Ritus Romanus incense, wine bull, ram, cow, sheep, suovetaurilia (sheep, pig and bull),
Mars Celestial Ritus Romanus spelt, bacon fat, meat, wine, cakes (strues and fertum) suovetaurilia (sheep, pig and bull), bull, ram (Entrails were offered raw)
  • Suetonius, Vita Divi Augusti, 1
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4
  • ILS 5047
Saturnus Chthonic Ritus Graecus (although he is a very ancient Roman deity).  ? pig?
  • Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.274.29-32
Salus Celestial Ritus Romanus  ? cow
Minerva Celestial Ritus Romanus  ? cow, suovetaurilia (sheep, pig and bull),
Victoria Celestial Ritus Romanus incense cow
Dis Underworld Ritus Romanus  ? black sheep and other black victims
  • Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.9.10-12
Proserpina Underworld Ritus Romanus  ? black victims
  • Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 2.4.5
Liber Pater Chthonic Ritus Romanus (the Bachannalia are considered Graeca Sacra, i.e. a foreign rite not included in the Roman public cult ) cakes (liba), libations of must (namely first samplings)  ?
  • Ovid, Fasti, 3.713-740
  • Plinius, Naturalis Historia, 18.8
  • Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.423.1 seq.
Neptunus Waterly Ritus Romanus  ? bull
  • Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4
Diana Celestial Ritus Romanus (although at the Ludi Saeculares she was honoured - like any other deity - Graeco Ritu) cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley hind, white she-goat?, cow
  • Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 1.45
  • Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27, 23.5
  • Ovidius, Fasti, 1.387-388
  • {{{2}}}: VI 32323 (EN DE)
  • Valerius Maximus, Factorum et Dictorum Memorabilium, 7.3.1
Carna Domestic Ritus Romanus beans mixed with hot spelt, bacon -
  • [Ovid, Fasti, 6.169-170]
Robigo Chthonic Ritus Romanus incense, wine red (?) dog, ewe, unweaned puppy
  • Columella, De Re Rustica, 342 seq.
  • [Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.358.27-30]
Volcanus Fiery (destructive) Ritus Romanus fish, red (?) animals (Victims were burned alive.)
  • Varro, De Lingua Latina, 6.20
  • Festus-Paul, On the meaning of the words, Lindsay ed., p.276.3
Genius Augusti Celestial Ritus Romanus incense, wine bull, bull-calf
  • Petronius, Satiricon, 60.7
  • Horatius, Odes, 4.5.30 seq.
  • {{{2}}}: VI32352 (EN DE)
Iuno Augustae Celestial Ritus Romanus incense, wine cow
Numen Augusti Celestial Ritus Romanus incense, wine bull-calf
Lares Augusti Domestic Ritus Romanus same as Lares Familiares same as Lares Familiares, wether
  • [ILS 5047]
Divus (Probably the same as Iuppiter) Celestial Ritus Romanus  ? ox, sheep
Diva (Probably the same as Iuno) Celestial Ritus Romanus  ? cow
Apollo Celestial Ritus Graecus cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley,
crowns of laurel
bull
  • [Macrobius, Saturnalia, 3.10.4]
  • {{{2}}}: VI 32323 (EN DE)
  • Livius, Ab Urbe Condita, 25.12, 27, 23.5
Ilithyia Domestic Ritus Graecus (at least at the Ludi Saeculares. Anyway she is a Greek deity) cakes of cheese, cakes of honey, cakes of parsley -
Priapus Domestic/Fertility Ritus Romanus milk, cakes (liba)
  • Virgilius, Eclogae, 7.33-34

Based on work by Antonius Gryllus Graecus, Pontifex.

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