honorthegods:Martius, fragment of a mosaic with the months of the year. First half third century CE.

honorthegods:Martius, fragment of a mosaic with the months of the year. First half third century CE. Discovered in the city of Thysdrus, Roman province of Byzacena, (modern El Djem, Tunisia).  Archaeological Museum of Sousse.  Photograph by Ad Meskens, 2012. This mosaic may depict the Mamuralia, also known as the Sacrum Mamurio (“Rite for Mamurius”), a festival held around March 14-15,  to commemorate the legendary  metal smith Mamurius Veturius.The story goes that during the reign of Numa (715–673 BCE), a shield fell to Rome from the sky. One version say that a voice from the sky proclaimed Rome would survive as long as the shield was preserved; another version says it was the nymph Egeria, mentor of Numa, who so interpreted the prodigy. Numa ordered 11 replica shields to be made, in order to protect the holy shield by confusing would-be thieves. Numa also created a priesthood of Mars, the Salii Pallatini, 12 men who performed rituals in honor of Mars during his month, March, and again at the Armilustrium in October. A corresponding priesthood comprised of young women, the Saliae Virgines, may have accompanied the men of the Salii Pallatini in their processions, which featured the singing of hymns and performance of a unique dance, which was described as “leaping”; the Saliae maidens definitely joined in the feasting at the temple of Mars Gradivus which followed.Sources for this post include :DiLuzio, Meghan J. A Place at the Altar: Priestesses in Republican Rome. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2016. -- source link

More pics about