Lectisternium was first introduced in the time of a pestilence, A. U. 356. Liv. v. 13.

In sacrifices it was requisite that those who offered them should come chaste and pure; that they should bathe themselves; be dressed in white robes, and crowned with the leaves of that tree, which was thought most acceptable to the god whom they worshipped. Sometimes also in the garb of sup pliants, with dishevelled hair, loose robes, and barefooted. Vows and prayers were always made before the sacrifice.

It was necessary that the animals to be sacrificed (hostia vel victima, Ovid. Fast. i. 335.) should be without spot and blemish, (decora et integra vel intacta, never yoked in the plough), ibid. i. 83. and therefore they were chosen from a flock or herd, approved by the priests, and marked with chalk, Juvenal. x. 65. whence they were called egregia, eximia, lecta. They were adorned with fillets and ribbons, (infulis et vittis,) Liv. ii. 51. and crowns; and their horns were gilt.

The victim was led to the altar by the Pope, with their clothes tucked up and naked to the waist, (qui succincti erant et ad ilia nudi, Suet. Calig. 32.) with a slack rope, that it might not seem to be brought by force, which was reckoned a bad omen. For the same reason it was allowed to stand loose before the altar; and it was a very bad omen if it fled away.

Then after silence was ordered, Cic. Divin. i. 45. (See p. 177.) asalted cake, mola salsa, vel fruges salsa, Virg. Æn.ii. 133. Far et mica salis, Ovid. & Horat. i. e. Far tostum, comminutum, et sale mistum, bran or meal mixed with salt), was sprinkled (inspergebatur) on the head of the beast, and frankincense and wine poured between its horns, the priest having first tasted the wine himself, and given it to be tasted by those that stood next him, which was called LIBATIO, erv. in Virg. En. iv. 57, &c. and thus the victim was said esse macta, i. e. magis aucta: Hence immolare et mactare, to sacrifice; for the Romans carefully avoided words of a bad omen, as, cadere, jugulare, &c. The priest plucked the highest hairs between the horns, and threw them into the fire; which was called LIBAMINA PRIMA, Virg. Æn. vi. 246.

The victim was struck by the cultrarius, with an axe or a mall, (malleo), Suet. Calig. 32. by the order of the priest, whom he asked thus, ACONE? Ovid. Fast. i. 323. and the priest answered, Hoc AGE? Suet. Calig. 58. Then it was stabbed (jugulabatur) with knives; and the blood being caught (exc.pta) in goblets, was poured on the altar. It was then Blayed and dissected. Sometimes, it was all burnt, and called HOLOCAUSTUM,

Y 2

HOLOCAUSTUM, (ex ixos totas, el na uro), Virg. vi. 25. but usually only a part; and what remained was divided between the priests and the person who offered the sacrifice (qui sacra v. sacrificium FACIEBAT, V. sacris OPERABATUR, Virg. G. 1. 393. Tacit. Annal. ii. 14.) The person who cut up the animal, and divided it into different parts, was said prosecare exta, Liv. v. 21. Plaut. Poen. ii. 1, 8. and the entrails thus divided were called PROSICIE or PROSECTA, Ovid. Fast. vi. 163. These rites were common to the Romans with the Greeks; whence Dionysius concludes the Romans were of Greek extractions, vii. 72.

Then the aruspices inspected the entrails, (exta consulebant), Virg. iv. 64. And if the signs were favourable (si exta bona essent); they were said to have offered up an acceptable sacrifice, or to have pacified the gods, (düs litâsse); if not, (si exta non bona vel prava et tristia essent), another victim was offered. up, (sacrificium instaurabatur, vel victima succidanea mactabatur), and sometimes several, Cic. de divin. ii. 36, 38. Suet. Cas. 81. Liv. xxv. 16. Serv. in Virg. iv. 50. v. 94.

The liver was the part chiefly inspected, and supposed to give the most certain presages of futurity; hence termed CAPUT EXTORUM, Plin. xi. 37. s. 73. It was divided into two parts, called pars FAMILIARIS and pars HOSTILIS vel inimici. From the former they conjectured what was to happen to themselves; and from the latter, what was to happen to an enemy. Each of those parts had what was called CAPUT, Liv. viii. 9. Cic. divin. ii. 12. Lucan. i. 621. which seems to have been a protuberance at the entrance of the blood-vessels and nerves, which the antients distinguished by the name of fibres; thus, In imâ fibrâ, Suet. Aug. 95. Ecce videt capiti fibrarum increscere molem Alterius capitis, Lucan. i. 627. En sapita paribus bina consurgunt toris, Senec. Edip. 356. Caput jecinoris duplex, Valer. Max. i. 6, 9. i. e. two lobes, one on each side of the fissure or cavity, commonly called PORTA, V. -ta, Cic. Nat. D. ii. 55. which Livy calls AUCTUM in jecinore, xxvii. 26. s. 28. A liver without this protuberance, (jecur sine capite), or cut off, (caput jecinore casum), was reckoned a very bad omen; nihil tristius), Cic. divin. i. 52. ii. 13. & 16. Liv. viii. 9. or when the heart of the victim could not be found; for although it was known, that an animal could not live without the heart, Cic. divin. ii. 16. yet it was believed sometimes to be wanting; as happened to Cæsar, a little before his death, while he was sacrificing, on that day, on which he first appeared in his golden chair and purple robe, ibid. i. 52. Valer.

In leap year, that is, when February has twenty-nine days, which happens every fourth year, both the 24th and 25th days of that month were marked, sexto Kalendas Marti or Martias; and hence this year is called BISSEXTILIS.

The names of all the months are used as substantives or adjectives, except Aprilis, which is used only as a substantive. The Greeks had no kalends in their way of reckoning, but called the first day of the month vauma, or new moon; hence ad Græcas Kalendas solvere, for nunquam, Suet. Aug. 87.

The day among the Romans was either civil or natural. The civil day (DIES CIVILIS) was from mid-night to mid-night. The parts of which were, 1. Media nox; 2. Medi notis inclinatio, vel de media nocte; 3. Gallicinium, cockcrow, or cock-crowing, the time when the cocks begin to crow; 4. Conticinium, when they give over crowing; 5. Diluculum, the dawn; 6 Mane, the morning; 7. Antemeridianum tempus, the forenoon; 8. Meridies, noon or mid-day; 9. Tempus pomeridianum, vel. meridiei inclinatio, afternoon; 10. Solis occasus, sun-set; 11. Vespera, the evening; 12. Crepusculum, the twilight, (dubium tempus, noctis an diei sit: Ideo dubiæ res creperæ dicta, Varr. L. L. vi. 4.) 18. Prima fax, when candles were lighted, called also prima tenebre, Liv. Prima lumina, Horat.-14. Concubia nox, vel concubium, bed-time, Liv. xxv. 9.-15. Intempesta nox, or silentium noctis, far on the night; 16. Inclinatio ad mediam noctem, Censorin. de die nat. c. 24.

The natural day (DIES NATURALIS) was from the rising to the setting of the sun. It was divided into twelve hours, which were of a different length at different seasons: Hence hora hiberna for brevissima, Plaut. Pseud. v. 2, 11.

The night was divided into four watches, (vigilia prima, secunda, &c.) each consisting of three hours, which were likewise of a different length at different times of the year: Thus, hora sexta noctis, mid-night; Septima, one o'clock in the morning; Octavo, two, &c. Plin. Ep. iii. 4.

Before the use of dials (horologia solaria vel sciaterica) was known at Rome, there was no division of the day into hours; nor does that word occur in the Twelve Tables. They only mention sun-rising and sun-setting, before and after mid-day, Censorin. 23. According to Pliny, mid-day was not added till some years after, vii. 60. an accensus of the consuls being appointed to call out that time, (accenso consulum id pronunciant), when he saw the sun from the senate-house, betwen the Rostra and the place called GRACOSTASIS, Plin. ibid. where

ambassadors

ambassadors from Greece and other foreign countries used to stand, Varr. L. L. iv. 32. Cic. ad Q. Fr. ii. 1.

Anaximander or Anaximenes of Miletus, is said to have invented dials at Lacedæmon in the time of Cyrus the Great, Plin. ii. 76. the first dial is said to have been set up at Rome by L. Papirius Cursor, A. U. 447. and the next near the Rostra by M. Valerius Mesala the Consul, who brought it from Catana in Sicily, in the first Punic war, A. U. 481. Plin. vii. 60. Gell ex Plaut. iii. 3. Hence, ad solarium versari, for in foro, Cic. Quint. 18.-Scipio Nasica first measured time by water, or by a clepsydra, which served by night as well as by day, A. U. 595. ibid. (See p. 248.) The use of clocks and watches was unknown to the Romans.

DIVISION of DAYS and ROMAN
FESTIVALS.

DAYS among the Romans were either dedicated to religious purposes, (DIES FESTI), or assigned to ordinary business, (dies PROFESTI). There were some partly the one, and partly the other, (dies INTERCISI, i. e. ex parte festi, et ex parte profesti), half holidays.

On the Dies Festi sacrifices were performed, feasts and games were celebrated, or there was at least a cessation from business. The days on which there was a cessation from business were called FERIE, holidays, Cic. legg. ii. 8. Divin. 45. and were either public or private.

Public Feria or festivals were either stated, (STATE), or annually fixed on a certain day by the magistrates, or Priests, (CONCEPTIVE), or occasionally appointed by order of the Consul, the prætor, or Pontifex Maximus, (IMPARATIVÆ). The stated festivals were chiefly the following:

1. In January, AGONALIA, in honour of Janus, on the oth, (v. Id.) Ovid. Fast. i. 318, &c. and also on the 20th May: CARMENTALIA, in honour of Carmenta, the mother of Evander, on the 11th (111. Id.): Ovid. ibid. 461. But this was an half holiday, (intercisus); for after mid-day it was dies profestus, a common work day. On the 13th (Idibus) a wether (vervex vel ovis semimas, aris) was sacred to Jupiter, Ovid. Fast. i. 588. On this day the name of AUGUSTUS was confer.

red

red on Cæsar Octavianus, ibid, 595. On the first day of this month, people used to wish one another health and prosperity, (omnia fausta,) Plin. 28, 2, s. 5. and to send presents to their friends. (See p. 56.) Most of the Magistrates entered on their office, and artists thought it lucky to begin any work they had to perform, (opera auspicabantur), Senec. Ep. 83. Ovid. et Martial. passim.

2. In February, FAUNALIA, to the god Faunus, on the 13th (Idibus); LUPERCALIA, to Lycæan Pan, on the 15th, (xv. Kal. Mart.); QUIRINALIA, to Romulus, on the 17th; FERALIA, (quod tum epulas ad sepulchra amicorum ferebant, vel pecudes feriebant, Festus), to the Dii Manes, on the 21st, (Ovid says the 17th), and sometimes continued for several days; after which friends and relations kept a feast of peace and love (charistia) for settling differences and quarrels among one another, if any snch existed, Valer. Max. ii. 1, 8. Ovid. Fast. ii. 631. TERMINALIA, to Terminus; REGIFUGIUM vel regis fuga, in commemoration of the flight of king Tarquin, on the 24th; EQUIRIA, horse races in the Campus Martius, in honour of Mars, on the 27th.

3. In March, MATRONALIA, celebrated by the matrons for various reasons, but chiefly in memory of the war terminated between the Romans and Sabines, Ovid. Fast. iii. 170. on the first day; when presents used to be given by husbands to their wives, Plaut. Mil. iii. 1. 97. Tibul. iii. 1. Suet. Vesp. 19. Festum ANCILIORUM, on the same day and the three following, when the shields of Mars were carried through the city by the Sali, who used then to be entertained with sumptuous feasts; whence Saliares dapes vel cœnæ, for lauta, opiparæ, opulenta, Horat. Od. i. 37, 2. LIBERALIA, to Bacchus, on the 18th, (xv. Kal. Apr.) when young men used to put on the Toga virilis, or manly gown; QUINQUATRUS, -uum vel Quinquatria, Ovid. Fast. iii. 810. Gell. ii. 21. in honour of Minerva, on the 19th, at first only for one day, but afterwards for five; whence they got their name. At this time boys brought presents to their masters, called Minervalia. On the last day of this festival, and also on the 23d March, (x. kal. April.) the trumpets used in sacred rites were purified (lustrabantur) by sacrificing a lamb; hence it was called TuBILUSTRIUM, vei -1A, Ovid. Fast. iii. 849. v. 795. HILA. RIA, in honour of the mother of the gods, on the 25th.

4. In April, MEGALESIA or Megalenses, to the great mother of the gods, on the 4th or 5th; CEREALIA, or