Roman Calendar - June 11: Matralia festival  and  goddess FortunaMatralia was a festival that was ce

Roman Calendar - June 11: Matralia festival  and  goddess FortunaMatralia was a festival that was celebrated in honor of an old Latin goddess Mater Matuta. She had an archaic temple at Forum Boarium and hence the festival was held there. Only married women were allowed to participate and  during the celebrations  they offered gifts to goddess and prayed for welfare of their sister’s children. A bit odd - imo- and there was also another rather peculiar ritual during this festival. A slave woman was namely brought into the temple after which she was slapped in the face and then driven away from the area. Makes one wonder why, but more info can be found here: http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Matralia.htmlGoddess Fortuna was also celebrated on this day, Her temple stood next to the temple of Mater Matuta and it too was dedicated on June 11 (7th / 6th century BCE), Roman women devoted their wedding gowns to Fortuna in this temple.As one can see from pic 1 there isn’t much left of these temples. Archaeologically speaking Sant’Omobono Area is an important site though since these are the oldest known temple remains in Rome.  Photos:1: Wikimedia, Daderot / CC0My photos (Capitoline Museums):2: artefacts from archaic temples of Forum Boarium. Hercules and Minerva are probably depicted here; 6th century BCE. 3. Frieze of temple of Mater Matuta / Fortuna, 2nd half of 6th century BCE. More info –> pic 84. A votive offering 5. Plaque in form of Small lion. A votive gift by an aristocratic Etruscan who lived in Rome, late 7th - early 6th century BCE. More info  –.> pics 6 & 7.6-8. Capitoline Museum info cards Rome, August 2019 -- source link
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