4. Festivals

• What were the Roman Festivals?

  Lupercalia & Saturnalia
• During the Lupercalia a race involved running around the foot of the Palatine Hill and whipping spectators for better fertility
• Lupercalia:

  • Originated from a festival of purification and fertility in honour of the God Lupercus
  • Took place annually on the 15th of February
  • Priests called Lupereli were chosen from the noble male population
  • Priests gathered in the lupercal cave on the Palatine Hill
  • Divided into 2 tribes representing Romulus and Remus
  • Goats were sacrificed as a sign of fertility
  • Priests wore goatskin and whipped people's hands for fertility
  • Priests' foreheads smeared with dog and goat blood, then wiped off with goat milk and wool
• Saturnalia:

  • Held in honour of the Roman God Saturn at the winter solstice
  • Celebrated new light, rebirth, and a positive future
  • All levels of society participated, including men, women, children, and slaves
  • Priests of the temple of Saturn provided religious officials
  • New officials were chosen yearly
  • Public feast throughout Rome
  • Promoted equality between slaves and masters
  • Men wore a small felt cap called a pileus as a symbol of freedom
  • Gift-giving tradition
  • Priest participated in sacrifice with head uncovered
• What were the Greek Festivals?

  Great Panathanaia & City Dionysia
• City Dionysia:

  • Founded in the 6th century and lasted 5 days
  • Celebrated to honor Dionysus after a plague affecting male genitals was cured
  • Eponymous Archon selected 3 playwrights and 5 comic playwrights
  • Choregos financed the plays
  • Playwrights wrote the plays
  • Competition between playwrights was fierce
  • Dithyramb competition involved 100 members from each tribe
  • Tragic and comic participants included professional actors and amateur chorus members
  • Pompe, dithyrambic, contests, komos were part of the festival
• • Opening ceremony involved a pig sacrifice and pouring libations to the Olympian gods
  • Comedy, tragedy, and satyr plays were performed
  • Playwrite with the most votes received a garland of ivy
• The Great Panathenaia:

  • Celebrated only by the Athenians
  • 8-day festival to celebrate Athena's birthday
  • Rhapsodic and musical contests were the first events
  • Rhapsode recited epic poetry
  • Musical contests included aulos and kithara
  • Sporting events included the stadion, wrestling, boxing, pankration, pentathlon, and equestrian events
  • Winners received Panathenaic amphorae
  • Tribal contests included strength trials, boat ride, and war dance competition
  • Panathenaic procession depicted on the Ionic Frieze of the Parthenon
  • Torch race before the procession
• In the Great Panathenaia a sacrifice involved 100 oxen and other animals