The Roman poet Ovid (43 BC – 17 AD) wrote his poem Fasti (Fasti, in Latin) around the years 8 to 12. It deals with the months of the ancient Roman calendar and their respective religious festivals. Originally, it consisted of twelve books, but only six have survived. Each book corresponds to the first six months of the year and their divinities or protective entities: January (Janus), February (februae), March (Mars), April (Venus), May (Muses, Maiestas, or Maia) and June (Juno and Juventus).
Furthermore, the second book of Fasti is dedicated to February, a month associated with purification rituals. Thus, Ovid illustrates in detail certain sacred celebrations that reflect religious practices as expressions of daily life in Rome at the time.
Fowler (1899, p. 32) notes that in the fasti antiquissimi the religious celebrations taking place in February were six: Lupercalia (15-16), Quirinalia (17-20), Feralia (21-22), Terminalia (23), Regifugium (24-26) and Equirria (27).
- God Februus
In Roman and Etruscan mythology, Februus was the god of the dead, purification, and lustrations, thus linking him with the month chosen for his patronage and veneration. According to Smith (1880, p. 142), such purification was also necessary to produce fertility in both men and beasts, and he notes that February was dedicated to the goddess Juno, known as Februata or Februtis.
Etymologically, Februus is related to februare (to purify) and februae (purifications), while in Etruscan it referred to the god of catalepsy or the underworld (Smith, 1880, p. 142). Grimal (1979, p. 195) explains that in later times Februus was identified with Dis Pater or Pluto in relation to the month of February, as the city was purified through sacrifices and offerings to appease the dead.
- Februae and mensis februarius
Ovid states that the Roman fathers designated purification instruments with the name februae (Fasti, II, 19-20), but also referred to the wool requested by the pontiffs from the king and the flamen (21-22), as well as the toasted cakes and salt used by the lictor to purify homes (23-24). Also, they were called februae the branches that covered the heads of priests (25-26). Furthermore, anything that could purify bodies was given this name (29-30).
Accordingly, February is named after the februae, as the luperci cut a skin as an object of purification for the floors, although also after making offerings to tombs and then on days dedicated to the dead (Fastos, II, 31-34). Varro (The Latin Language, VI, 13) notes that the Sabines gave the name februm to a purification, referring to the skin of the goat from which the thong used in the Lupercalia ritual was made. Hence the term februatus. Finally, Macrobius attributes the choice of consecration of the month to Februo (Saturnalia, I, 13) to King Numa.
- Days from 1 to 14
February 1st was dedicated to Juno Sospita, the equivalent of the Mother of Phrygia (Fastos, II, 55-56). The second day honored the constellation of Lyre and Lion. The third was dedicated to the constellation of Dolphin. The fifth was in honor of Emperor Augustus. The ninth represented the ascent of the Morning Star and the arrival of spring. The eleventh was dedicated to the constellation of Great Bear and Callisto. The thirteenth, on the Ides, remembered the Fabii who fell in the war against Veii (an Etruscan city) in the 5th century BC. February 14th commemorated the constellations of Raven, Serpent and Crater (Fastos, II, 73-267).
- Lupercalia
This famous festival took place on February 15th, honoring Faunus (Pan in Greek mythology), whose naked devotees carried out the ceremony and offered goats. According to Plutarch (The Life of Romulus, 21, 3), it was previously called Febrata. Ovid traces its origin back to ancient Arcadians and their worship of Pan (Fastos, II, 271), but that it came to Rome with Evander (a mythical son of Mercury and Carmenta) along with other woodland deities (II, 280).
Emulating its primitive state and the god Faunus himself, the luperci (named after the she-wolf Lupa who suckled Romulus and Remus) ran naked during this festival: "the deity herself goes nude and orders her ministers to go nude, as clothing is not very comfortable for running" (II, 287-289). However, Beard, North, and Price (1998, p. 119) note that ancient accounts of what happened during the ritual do not vary much, although they do not agree on the route taken by the naked runners who ran through the city.
Subsequently, between February 16th and 17th, festivals were held in honor of Quirinus (deification of Romulus) and on the 18th Fornacalia (diosa Fornax) and the "Festival of Fools" for the people who did not know to which curia they belonged, postponing this ceremony until the last day (Fastos II, 531-532).
- Parentalia and Feralia
The Parentalia (dies parentales) were celebrated between February 13th and 21st, dedicated to the deceased of each family (parentes), as "tombs also have their honor. Calm the souls of your parents and bring small gifts to the extinguished pyres. The Manes crave small things" (Fastos, II, 533-535).
As a corollary, the Feralia were celebrated in honor of the Manes, household gods of deceased relatives. The offerings before the tombs of ancestors varied: decorated roof tiles, oats, salt, softened wheat in wine and violets (II, 537-539). According to Varro's The Latin Language, its name derives from inferi (those below) and ferre (to carry), "because then they bring (ferunt) food to the tomb those who have the right to celebrate a funeral ceremony there" (VI, 34).
In the following days, celebrations were held: Carnivalia on February 22nd, a reunion with living relatives (in opposition to the Parentalia); February 23rd, for the god Tutelar (patron of boundaries and borders); February 24th, commemorating the flight of the last king, Tarquin the Proud; and February 27th, the Equirria (horse races). With the 28th, the month ended and the second book of Fastos (II, 865).
Conclusions
The mensis februarius was very significant for ancient Romans, as it dealt with purification rituals to expiate their souls through various religious festivals, rites, sacrifices and offerings. The god Februus, perhaps not as well known to us compared to other deities in the Roman pantheon, but was very important for daily life at that time, along with celebrations such as Lupercalia, Parentalia and Feralia.
Moreover, Roman household gods were very present in these festivals (not just public ones), as the memory of ancestors was honored, such as the Manes, whose spirits' wrath was appeased through rituals and offerings.
It is important to approach the origins of months according to the perspective of ancient civilizations, in this case from the Roman sociocultural framework, since February was not a common month but rather an opportunity for purifying citizens' souls and thus continuing the course of the year.
Bibliography
Beard, M., North, J., & Price, S. (1998). Religions of Rome: Volume 2: A Sourcebook. Cambridge University Press.
Fowler, W. W. (1899). The Roman festivals of the period of the Republic. An introduction to the study of the religion of the Romans. Macmillan and Co.
Grimal, P. (1979). Diccionario de mitología griega y romana. Paidós.
Smith, W. (1880). A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology. Vol II. Spottiswoode and Co.
Varro (1998). La lengua latina. Libros V-VI (L. A. Hernández Miguel, Trad.). Gredos.
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