132:
180:(pure, traditional, religious) rites of Megalesia. Clodius had sought popular support by defecting from a patrician to a plebeian gens. The Megalesia was a predominantly patrician affair; and in an apparent attempt to undermine patrician privilege, Clodius had hired slave-gangs to forcibly take control of the festival. The attempt was a failure, and Clodius was prosecuted for this and other outrages against Rome's traditional and social proprieties.
161:
petals are scattered, and clouds of incense arise. The goddess's image, wearing the Mural Crown and seated within a sculpted, lion-drawn chariot, is carried high on a bier. The Roman display of Cybele's
Megalesia procession as an exotic, privileged public pageant offers signal contrast to what is known of the private, socially inclusive Phrygian-Greek mysteries on which it was based.
164:
During the festival, wealthy Roman nobles played host to each other, in rotation, in honour of the goddess; these were lavish, costly and competitive occasions in which the wealthy sought to impress their inferiors and peers; or in the latter case, to outdo them in extravagance. In direct response to
151:
describes this procession as wild
Phrygian "mummery" and "fabulous clap-trap", in contrast to the Megalesian sacrifices and games, carried out in what he admires as a dignified "traditional Roman" manner; Dionysius also applauds the wisdom of Roman religious law, which forbids the participation of
160:
vividly describes the procession's armed "war dancers" in their three-plumed helmets, clashing their shields together, bronze on bronze, "delighted by blood"; yellow-robed, long-haired, perfumed Galli waving their knives, wild music of thrumming tympanons and shrill flutes. Along the route, rose
364:
See also commentary in Roller, 1999, p.293 and note 39: "... one can see how a
Phrygian in an elaborately embroidered robe might have clashed noticeably with the plain, largely monochromatic Roman tunic and toga"; cf Augustus's "efforts to stress the white toga as the proper dress for
127:
were held there in her honour. The racetrack could be seen from her temple's threshold, and a statue of Magna Mater was permanently sited on the racetrack's dividing barrier, showing the goddess seated on a lion's back: the goddess could thus watch the festivities held in her honour.
103:, where her image was temporarily housed. In 203 Cybele was promised a temple of her own. Games in her honour were celebrated in 193. Regular annual celebration of the Megalesia began in 191, with the temple's completion and dedication by Marcus Junius Brutus.
119:(plays and other entertainments based on religious themes), probably performed on the deeply stepped approach to her temple; some of the plays were commissioned from well-known playwrights. On April 10, her image was taken in public procession to the
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330:(University of California Press, 1990), pp. 83–91, rejecting the scholarly tradition that the image represents an old man in an unknown rite for Venus
501:
276:
494:
301:
253:
227:
189:
144:
474:
896:
361:
343:
describes the hymns and ritual characteristics of
Megalensia as Greek. See Takacs, in Lane (ed), p. 373, citing Cicero,
115:
commenced on April 4, the anniversary of Cybele's arrival in Rome. The festival structure is unclear, but it included
901:
148:
396:
See
Robertson, N., in Lane (ed), 1996, pp. 292 - 293. See also Summers, K., in Lane (ed), 1996, pp.341, 347 - 349.
82:
173:
427:
830:
153:
136:
131:
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issued a decree in 161 BC, limiting expenditure on meat, wine and silverware for such feasts.
96:
695:
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575:
86:
735:
517:
328:
On Roman Time: The Codex
Calendar of 354 and the Rhythms of Urban Life in Late Antiquity
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Tribune of the plebs (195 BC), praetor (191 BC), and perhaps the consul of 178 BC.
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Roman bystanders seem to have perceived
Megalesia as either characteristically "
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139:(354 AD), perhaps either a Gallus or a theatrical performer for the Megalesia
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156:; Slaves are forbidden to witness any of this. In the late republican era,
89:. Her arrival was solemnized with a magnificent procession, sacred feasts (
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640:
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585:
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priestesses. As the "Great Mother of the Gods" and a purported ancestral
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469:. Berkeley and Los Angeles, California: University of California Press.
387:
Recalling the
Kouretes and Corybantes of Cybele's Greek myths and cults.
865:
765:
690:
635:
615:
36:
313:
It was probably copied from a Greek original; the same appears on the
147:"; or Phrygian. At the cusp of Rome's transition to Empire, the Greek
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455:
Cybele, Attis, and
Related Cults: Essays in Memory of M.J. Vermaseren
340:
241:
Cybele, Attis, and
Related Cults: Essays in Memory of M.J. Vermaseren
40:
172:
In the late republican era, Cicero attacked his political opponent
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207:
130:
74:
51:(μϵγάλη), meaning "great". The festival was one of several on the
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223:
78:
57:
490:
268:
Roman Dining: A Special Issue of American Journal of Philology
47:("Great Mother"). The name of the festival derives from Greek
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any Roman citizen in the procession, and in the goddess's
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In Search of God the Mother: The Cult of Anatolian Cybele
85:
caste, she was recruited to act on Rome's behalf in the
462:
265:Barbara K. Gold; John F. Donahue (13 May 2005).
135:Illustration of the month of April based on the
502:
69:Cybele's cult image was brought to Rome from
8:
509:
495:
487:
200:
374:Roller, 1999, p. 296, citing Cicero,
95:), games, and offerings to her at the
442:Roller, 1999, p. 296, citing Cicero,
405:Summers, in Lane, 1996, pp. 348 - 50.
7:
73:in 204 BC, along with the goddess's
176:for sacrilegious disruption of the
212:On the Latin Language in 25 Books,
190:Sacerdos Matris Deum Magnae Idaeae
14:
432:, 24.2; Loeb, 1926 (revised 1946)
483:Cicero 'De Haruspicum Responsis'
1:
430:Noctes Atticae (Attic Nights)
31:was a festival celebrated in
461:Roller, Lynn Emrich (1999).
356:Dionysius_of_Halicarnassus,
339:In the late Republican era,
271:. JHU Press. pp. 102–.
360:, trans. Cary, Loeb, 1935,
317:. See Roller, 1999, p. 315.
178:casti, sollemnes, religiosi
918:
243:, Brill, 1996. pp. 393-394
149:Dionysius of Halicarnassus
61:, games and performances.
531:
43:, whom the Romans called
897:Ancient Roman festivals
453:Lane, Eugene, (Editor)
444:De Haruspicum Responsis
376:De Haruspicum Responsis
345:De haruspicum responsis
326:Michele Renee Salzman,
239:Lane, Eugene, (Editor)
140:
16:Ancient Roman festival
414:Roller, 1999, p. 317.
137:Calendar of Filocalus
134:
786:Quinquennial Neronia
87:war against Carthage
37:April 4 to April 10
141:
902:April observances
884:
883:
358:Roman Antiquities
278:978-0-8018-8202-9
97:temple of Victory
81:of Rome's ruling
909:
696:Ludi Apollinares
661:Ieiunium Cereris
576:Capitoline Games
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39:, in honour of
29:Megalenses Ludi
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125:chariot races
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117:ludi scaenici
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101:Palatine Hill
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846:Tubilustrium
821:Septimontium
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721:Meditrinalia
711:Lusus Troiae
621:Epulum Jovis
556:Armilustrium
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92:lectisternia
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56:
48:
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33:ancient Rome
28:
24:
20:
18:
871:Volturnalia
841:Tricennalia
836:Tiberinalia
781:Quinquatria
756:Opiconsivia
701:Ludi Romani
591:Carmentalia
566:Bacchanalia
45:Magna Mater
891:Categories
876:Vulcanalia
861:Vicennalia
831:Terminalia
816:Sementivae
801:Saturnalia
791:Regifugium
771:Poplifugia
761:Parentalia
746:Neptunalia
731:Mercuralia
716:Matronalia
706:Lupercalia
671:Larentalia
656:Furrinalia
651:Fornacalia
646:Fordicidia
611:Decennalia
601:Compitalia
581:Caprotinia
561:Augustalia
541:Ambarvalia
165:this, the
65:Background
25:Megalensia
851:Veneralia
796:Robigalia
741:Nemoralia
726:Megalesia
686:Liberalia
666:Junonalia
606:Consualia
546:Amburbium
446:, 13. 28.
378:, 13. 28.
158:Lucretius
154:mysteries
113:Megalesia
83:patrician
21:Megalesia
856:Vestalia
641:Floralia
626:Equirria
596:Cerealia
586:Caristia
571:Brumalia
536:Agonalia
426:, 24, 2
365:Romans."
347:, 12.24
302:xxxvi.36
254:xxxiv.54
184:See also
107:Festival
71:Pessinus
866:Vinalia
806:Rosalia
766:Parilia
691:Lucaria
681:Lemuria
636:Feralia
616:Divalia
424:Gellius
228:xxix.14
174:Clodius
99:on the
631:Februa
524:(ludi)
522:games
473:
341:Cicero
300:Livy,
275:
252:Livy,
214:vi. 15
167:senate
123:, and
75:Gallae
49:megalē
41:Cybele
551:Argei
208:Varro
196:Notes
145:Greek
35:from
27:, or
520:and
471:ISBN
273:ISBN
224:Livy
111:The
58:ludi
19:The
893::
226:,
210:,
23:,
510:e
503:t
496:v
479:.
304:.
281:.
230:.
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