Festival of the goddess Diana, Roman Empire (May 26 - 31, 17 BCE)

The last days before the kalends of June in the year 17 BCE were a marvellous festival to the goddess Diana leading up to the centennial games, the Ludi Saeculares. These games take their name from saeculum, a word which originally meant a period stretching roughly a century but by a proclamation of Roman emperor Augustus became a period of 110 years. [These games are at May 31 in the Book of Days.] Horace's hymn the Carmen Saeculare was commissioned by Augustus for the occasion ...



Categories: deity, festival, ancient-rome, roman-empire