The daily life of the ancient Romans. Paul Gyro.

The word "sacrifice" means different ancient Greek rites, co-retailed in different circumstances and with different goals. This is an offering of the gods of fruit, grains and pellets, and burning incense, and the murder of animals, with the subsequent eight of the remaining meat, and burning animals of the whole, and the ritual inspiredness of wine, milk, honey, water or oil, and spilling a fastening blood for fastening an oath .

The most common type of sacrifice from the ancient Greeks is the stack of livestock - called thysia ("Tsia"). The meat was partially burned: the gods snapped into the smoke, the participants of the ceremony - meat.

The philosopher Theophrast allocated three objectives of the sacrifice: to pay the gods to in-honor, thank them and ask them something. But this is just one of the ways of triggers of the rite. Already in the twentieth century, the Hellenist and a specialist in the ancient-Greek religion Walter Burkert put forward a new version: the meaning of the sacrifice-offering is in the sense of guilt, which is experiencing after the murder. The ritual neutralizes the splash of aggression associated with the killing of an animal. However, this theory was denied as contrary to antique witness. Some historians believe that the purpose of the sacrifice is in the installation of a social hierarchy between the participants of the rite, including the gods, through the distribution of the best and worst pieces of meat during joint meals. So the sacrifice-offering seems to be fixed and justifies the socio-econo-mine and political reality. From an anthropological point of view, sacrifice is an analogue of a gift: people present the sacred gift to the gods, counting on the response gifts. Such gifts make up the basis of relationships both between people and with otherworldly forces.

The Greeks did not have a separate class of priests, so someone could commit a sacrifice. For the separation of meat often called the butcher. The victim-offion was made not inside the temple, and next to him, in the altar outdoors. Often came the chamber home sacrifices in the family circle. If after the ritual was planned lunch or dinner, the ritual Pier was arranged in special premises in the sanctuary or at home. Sometimes sacrificial meat was sold, but still most of the bones of pets find it in the sanctuary. It turns out that the Greeks almost always ate meat after the ritual enclaring of the animal - that is, it is often quite often, if you judge the preserved calendars with the instructions when and how the gods are pre-wearing the victims. A large amount of livestock challenged on the occasion of the annual urban holidays. During private rituals, as a rule, they accounted for one small animals.

Stela with calendar of holidays and sacrifices from the city of Torikos. 430-420 years BC e.Remi Mathis / CC BY-SA 3.0

Fragment of steles with calendar of holidays and sacrifices from the city of Torikos. 430-420 years BC e.Dave & Margie Hill / CC BY-SA 2.0

The rules of the ceremony were not reduced to the rigid system: in different policies, the sequence of actions varied. We know about different types, methods and pro-pricer sacrifices of sacrifices from special ritual texts that have had the status of laws and fought in stone for universal review. Among other sources - antique literature, vazopis, reliefs, and from no time more zooarcheology (analysis of remnants of animal residues). These evidence makes it possible to understand some patterns. thysia. And reconstruct the features of the rite.

1. Choose a sacrifice

Sacrifice bull. Painting crater. Attica, 410-400 years BC e.Crater - vessel for mixing water and wine. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

First you need to define the budget of sacrifices. The most expensive life is a cow. If a big holiday is coming (for example, the goddess - the polarists of the city), it makes sense to spend, for example, 50 cows. But piglets are a cheap option that is used in the purification ritual: the animal's linage spray the participants of the rite, and the meat itself is not eaten. The most common sacrificial animal is a sheep: the perfect price and quality ratio. The choice of an animal depends on who the victim is intended. It is all important here - the age of the animal, the floor and color. The gods will suit the males, and the gods of Yam - females. Black animals are sacrificed by underground chtoni-chek gods. Before starting a ritual, check with special Calen-giving and other ritual texts: for example, the 12th of the month of An-Fest Riona (falls in our February - March) God of Wine Dionysus needs to be sacrificed dark - a meager or black goat with unlit tooth, and the goddess of the fertility of Demeter in the month of Munihione (April - May) - Be-re-made sheep. The goddess of the night witchcraft will have to be brought to a dog in a horsepower, but this is another type of sacrifice: the Greek dog did not eat.

Important Council: Do not sacrifice people, even if you have read about it in ancient Greek myths and literature. Human sacrifice in the Great is not witnessed.

2. Find a professional musician

Sacrifice scene. The young man playing in Avlin. Painting crater. Attica, about 430-410 BC. e. THE TRUSTEES OF THE BRITYSH MUSEUM

Each stage of the ritual must be accompanied by music. Good performance pleases the gods and places them to rite. Special ritual hymns are called asking and Peaana. The first should be singing until the animal lead to the altar (music sets the rhythm of the procession), the second is already at the very altar. Singing takes place under the accompaniment of the twin - Avula. While plays an Avlet, the procession is waiting for favorable signs to start the ceremony. The logic of the gods, however, is not always clear. So, Plutarch tells the story about the musician of Ismey, who has long played on the flute, and there were no signs. Then the impurpa-raw customer sacrifice selected the flute from a professional and unexpectedly played himself, and only then the sacrifice took place. What the Items replied that his music liked the gods, so they did not hurry with the decision, but, having heard the music of the amateur and deciding to get rid of her, they still took the sacrifice.

Important Council: Avletu will have to pay, but you can do it, sharing it with a sacrificial meat.

3. Welcome and dress up

Participants in the ceremony of sacrifice in wreaths and white clothes. Fragment of painting crater. Attica, end V century BC. e. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Festive mood is important. Go to the baths, put the elegant jam and decorate the head with a wreath. The altar can be crammed in order to draw the sacred character of what is happening. It is important not only to dress up, but also to dress the sacrifice, because for an animal participation in the rite - a great honor. Gilding the horns of the cow, as the old man of Nestor in "Odyssey", whatever the Goddess of Athena, be pleased with the goddess of Athena (this service can be in advance at the blacksmith). If finances do not allow, just give birth to bows and wrap the wreath around the head and the abdomen of the victims.

Important Council: In Athenian laws, it is said that the sacrifice of the Athena should be as beautiful as possible, so if you dedicate her a holiday ceremony, boldly demand for the celebrations and decorating more money from the city budget.

4. Organize the procession

Girl with basket with tools for the ceremony. Fragment of skifos mural. Attica, about 350 BC. e.Scythos is a ceramic bowl for drinking with low leg and horizontally arranged handles. THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Everything is almost ready, and here it begins one of the most important stages - the shared procession. Rite participants lead an animal to the altar to the music and singing. It is important to properly organize the procession and distribute the roles: who is at whom who is in his hands and who does what. Do not forget to bring to the altar tools for the ceremony - first of all the knife. Put the knife to the basket, sprinkle it with barley litter (a little later explain why it is necessary) and decorate the bows. Let the basket bears on the head of the girl of the Aristocracy-Che-Sky Origin on the head, she must head the procession - because youth and innocence guarantee the success of the enterprise. If a girl failed to find, a simple slave will come down. Someone must keep the jug with water for the ritual sprinkling of participants and the altar. Someone entrust to carry le-pawns and pies - they will also be useful for ritual purposes. At the beginning of the pro-Creatsia, announce that the provisional-poverty will now be committed. This can be done with the help of "Evhemia! Evhemia! " - What is reported to "a reverent speech", but in this case it means rather "Attention! Attention!".

Important Council: If you do not know where to recruit the participants in the procession, call households, children and slaves. Wife, daughter-in-law and daughters will be needed for the use of ritu-old female cry ololygmos. During the casualties of the victim. To the end it is unclear why I needed a cry - either to drown out the roar of belly, or to note the importance of what is happening.

5. Do not forget about the details

The altar will need to pronounce prayer: think in advance what you want to ask the gods. Before you kill the animal, sprinkle all the participants of the bar Most likely, the use of barley in rituals is associated with its psychedelic properties. And sprink in water. Now get the ritual knife, from-cut the lump of wool and drop into the fire. If the animal is large, intelligently oglu-sew it with an ax, and then cut the throat with a knife. It was now that the Women's wives must eat a ritual cry. It is important that the blood of the animal spill on the altar, and not to the ground. The hit of the sacrificial blood to the Earth is a bad mark and can lead to revenge and the next bloodshed. In some cases it makes sense to assemble the spilled blood into a special vase.

Sphayan - blood collection vessel. Kosńns, end IV - the beginning of the III century BC. e.
From the GMIA assembly them. A. S. Pushkin / Wikimedia Commons

During the cut, the most important thing is to properly separate those parts of the meat that the gods rely. Usually it is femur. They need to be cleaned from meat, wrap in fat and top cover with other slice of small size. The best pieces of meat can be left: as the Prometheus experience shows, the gods are all equal to won't notice anything. Add a tail on the altar with a sacrum, gallbladder and any other internal organs. Burn. It is important that smoke goes to the sky to the gods. Slim on the altar a little wine - so that the gods were than to drink meat. To part and cook the remaining meat, it is better to call meat-nickname. Now proceed to the festive dinner. Do not forget to give the ray of the slices to the most honored guests.

Important Council: Carefully follow the signs. For example, by how the tail of the animal behaves in the fire or what happens to the internal organs. Proper interpretation will allow you to understand if the gods like Ceres-Monya. Good signs when the tail in the fire is twisted, and the liver is healthy, with equal shares. If the rite is committed before the battle, the victory says a strong fire that destroys the entire victim of the whole. The bad signs are a poor flame, as well as spray from the burning of a gallbladder and other internal fluids.

Sources

Aristophanes. Peace.
Aristophanes. Birds.
Gesiod. Theogony.
Homer. Odyssey.
Naiden F. S. Smoke Signals for the GODS: Ancient Greek Sacrifice from the Archaic Through Roman Periods.
Oxford University Press, 2013.
Ullucci D. Contesting the Meaning of Animal Sacrifice.
Ancient Mediterranean Sacrifice. Oxford University Press, 2011.
Van Straten F. T. Hierà Kalá: Images of Animal Sacrifice In Archaic and Classical Greece.

Alexander Valentinovich Makhlayuk

Roman wars. Under the sign of Mars

Pontiff

Faith in signs was so strong in the Roman people, that they were considered as a language that gods communicate with people, warning about future disasters or approving the decision made. It is not by chance that Roman historians are conscientious of all sorts of signs and predictions in their writings, speaking of them on par with major events in public life. True, some of the signs mentioned in ancient legends, already antique writers seemed to manifest ridiculous superstitions. A modern man is all the more difficult to understand what kind of will and how could be expressed, for example, in the fact that the mice began gold in the Temple of Jupiter, or in the fact that in Sicily Bull spoke to a human voice.

Augur with chicken

Of course, there were people among Roman magistrates, discrepanied by the signs of the Divine Will. But in historical stories about such - very few - cases, it is always sufficiently emphasized that any violation of the instructions of the gods inevitably turns into disastrous consequences. We give several characteristic examples. Many ancient authors talk about Claudia Pulch Consul, who commanded the Roman fleet during the first war with Carthage. When the sacred chickens refused to peck the grain on the eve of the decisive battle, foreshadowed, the consul ordered to throw them overboard, adding: "They don't want to eat - let them go!", And gave a signal to battle. And in this battle, the Romans suffered a crushing defeat.

Another example refers to the second Punic war. Consul Guy Flaming, as it should be, performed the poles with sacred chickens. Priest, feeding chickens, seeing that they have no appetite, advised to move the battle for another day. Then Flaming asked him, and what would he have to do if the chickens and then would not peck? He answered: "Do not touch from the spot." "The glorious fortune telling," noticed an impatient consul, "if it encourages us for inaction and pushes into battle depending on the hungry or chicken chunks." Then Flaming orders to build in battle order and follow it. And then it turned out that the banner card could not move his banner from the spot, despite the fact that many came to the rescue. Flaming, however, neglected and this. It is worthwhile to be surprised that after three hours and the army was broken, and he himself died.

But what kind of case tells the ancient Greek writer Plutarch. When in 223 BC e. Consuls of Flaming and Furi moved with a large army to the Gallic tribe of Insurbov, one of the rivers in Italy flowed blood, and three moon seemed in the sky. The priests, who observed during the consular elections for the flight of birds, said that the proclamation of new consuls was incorrect and accompanied by sinister omens. Therefore, Senate immediately sent a letter to the camp, calling the consuls as soon as possible and folded the power, without taking any action against the enemy. However, Flaming, having received this letter, printed it only after he entered the battle and broke the enemy. When he returned to Rome with rich prey, the people did not meet him and for the fact that the consul did not obey the message of the Senate, almost refused to him in the triumph. But immediately after triumph, both consul were renounced from power. "To what extent, it concludes Plutarchs," the Romans were represented by the Romans for consideration of the gods and even at the biggest luck, not the slightest disregard for progress and other customs, considering it more useful and important for the state so that their commander was honored with religion than defeated the enemy. "

This kind of stories, of course, strengthened the faith of Romans in the omen. And she, no matter what, always remained serious and strong. The Romans always firmly believed that success in war is provided by the location and help of the gods. Therefore, it was necessary to impeccably make all the laid rituals and fortune telling. But their diligent performance in accordance with the ancient traditions had and purely practical importance, as it was excited by the military spirit, gave soldiers faith in the fact that the divine powers are fighting on their side.

To attract the gods to your side, the Roman commander in front of the speech on the campaign, and even in the midst of battle, they were often given vows, that is, the promises to devote to this or another Dara's deity or to build the temple in case of victory. The introduction of this custom, as many others, is attributed to Romulu. In one fierce battle, the Romans trembled under the Natius of the enemy and turned into flight. Romulus, wounded by a stone in the head, tried to delay the running and return them to the system. But around him he boels a real whirlflower. And then the Roman king spread his hands to the sky and prayed to Jupiter: "Father of the gods and people, reflect the enemies, freed the Romans from fear, stop the shame! And I promise you to build a temple here. " He did not have time to finish a prayer as his army, as if hearing the command from heaven, stopped. The courage returned to the runner again, and the enemy was pushed. At the end of the war, Romulus, as promised, erected on this very place the sanctuary of Jupiter Stator, that is, "stopping".

The vow of Romula was repeated later and other commander. Interestingly, the victorious Roman commanders in gratitude for their assistance was erected by the temples of the Divities, who were directly "victims" by wars and battles, such as Mars, the same Jupiter, Bellona (the name of this goddess may occur from the word Bellum, "War" ) Or Fortune - the Goddess of Good luck and the fate, which, as the Romans believed, is subject to all the affairs of human, and the wars of all more. The temples were also dedicated to the gods and goddesses, it would seem very far from military affairs, for example, the goddes of love and beauty Venus. And the more successfully the Romans fought, the more became in the city of Rome of the temples. Before the second Punic War (218-201 BC), about 40 were built on the hobs of the commander of the commander. And this for a long time remained subsequently.

However, the dependence of a person from the divine destiny and support of celestials did not exclude the need to manifest her efforts and will. It is very significant that in the inscriptions made in honor of the winning teams, it was often indicated that the victory was obsessed with the Auspices of the military man, his authorities, his leadership and his happiness. Auspics In this case, mean the right and obligation of the magistrate, commanded the army, to find out and fulfill the divine will, expressed through signs. From the point of view of the ancient Romans, the warlord was just an intermediary between the army and the gods, whose will should be strictly performed by him. But at the same time it was believed that the victory was obsessed with the direct command of the commander, i.e., based on his personal energy, experience and knowledge. At the same time, the talents and valor of the commander were inextricably linked with his happiness, which was a special gift to the Romans. Only gods could award this gift.

The right to conduct Auspics and other religious rituals was the necessary and very important part of those powers that the highest magistrates were endowed. The priests essentially only helped officials to commit sacrifices and other rites. The priests themselves in Rome, like the Magistratsky, were elected, although they were engaged, as a rule, for life. And those and other posts were often combined to, as Cicero wrote, "the same persons managed both by the ministry of immortal gods and the most important state affairs, in order to be prominent and glorified by citizens, well managed by the state, protected religion, and wisely interpretation Religions, protected state well-being. "

The connection between state policies, war and religion clearly manifested itself in the activities of the special collegium of the priests of fucials. She appeared in the fourth Roman king Anke Marce. They say that he barely only ascended the throne, as neighboring Latins dared and made a raid on the Roman lands. When the Romans demanded to compensate the damage caused, the Latins gave an arrogant answer. They calculated that Ank Marillion, like his grandfather Noma Pubrugi, will hold a reign among prayers and sacrifices. But the enemies calculated. The ANC turned out to be similar to Number not only with Num, but also with Romulo and decided to answer the challenge of the neighbors. However, to establish legal order and for war, the ANC introduced special ceremonies accompanying the announcement of the war, and instructed their execution to the Priests-fucias. Here's how the Roman historian Tit Libya describes that the Roman historian: "Ambassador, coming to the borders of those who require satisfaction, covers their head with a woolen bedspread and says:" Miscellaneous, Jupiter, chosen the frontier of the tribe of such something (here he calls the name); Yes, I hears the Vyshni law. I am a heartbell of the entire Roman people, rightfully and honor I come to the ambassador, and my words will be done! " Next, it calculates everything required. Then he takes the witnesses of Jupiter: "If the wrong and wickedly demand me, so that these people and these things are issued to me, let me lose me forever belonging to my fatherland." If he does not receive what it requires, after 33 days, he declares war as follows: "Jupiter, Jupiter, and you, Janus Quirin, and all the gods of heavenly, and you, earthly, and you, underground, are thrill! I take you to witnesses that this people (here he calls, which one) violated the right and does not want to restore it. "

Taking these words, the ambassador was returned to Rome for the meeting. The king (and later the highest magistrate) requested the opinion of senators. If the senate, by a majority of votes, was expressed for the war and this decision was approved by the people, the fucals conducted a rite of declaring war. According to custom, the head of the fucials brought a spear with an iron tip to the borders of the enemy and in the presence of at least three adult witnesses declared war, and then threw a spear on the territory of the enemy. Such a rite was supposed to emphasize the justice of the war from the Romans, and they invariably observed it. True, with time, as a result of the conquests of Rome, the distance to the enemy land has increased. It became very difficult to get to the borders of the next opponent. Therefore, the Romans came up with such a way out. They ordered one of the prisoners of the enemies to buy a block of land in Rome near the Bellon Temple. This land has now began to symbolize the enemy territory, and it was on her that the chief priest-fucial threw his spear, holding a rite of declaring war.

The fucals also have also made the conclusion of peace treaties, which was accompanied by the conduct of relevant rites. These rites, apparently, were very ancient origin. This is indicated by the fact that the fucifer's piglery brought to the sacrifice washed with a flint knife. The flint was considered a symbol of Jupiter, and the rite was called upon to show how this god would strike the Romans if they violate the terms of the contract. At the same time, the fucals acted not only as priests, but also as diplomats: negotiations, put their signatures under the contracts and kept them in their archive, and also watched the safety of foreign ambassadors in Rome. In his actions, the fucals submitted to Senate and higher magistrates. This kind of priests was not among other peoples, except for the relatives of the Romans of Latins.

It did not exist in other peoples and special seasonal military holidays, what were the Romans. Most of these festivities were dedicated to Marsa, the most ancient and most revered from the Italian gods. According to Ovidi's poet, "Above all other gods, they honored in the ancient times of Mars: the warlike person did not show the tendency to war." Marsa was dedicated to the first day and the first month of the year - on the old Roman calendar year began on March 1st. This month itself was called on behalf of God. Marsa Romans represented the fadder of the wader of herd and fighter for citizens. It was in March that the main military holidays coped: the 14th day - the day of the forging of the shields; 19th - Day of the Military Dance on the Square of the People's Assembly, and the 23rd - the day of the consecration of military pipes, which marked the final readiness of the Roman community to the beginning of the war. After that day, the Roman army performed in the next trip, opening the season of the war that lasted until autumn. In the autumn, on October 19, another military holiday was held in honor of Mars - the day of cleansing weapons. He marked the completion of hostilities by sacrifice Mars Kony.

One of the sacred animals of Mars was also a wolf who was considered a kind of coat of arms of the Roman state. The main symbol of God served as a spear, stored in the Tsarist Palace along with the twelve sacred shields. According to legend, one of these shields fell from the sky and was the key to the invincibility of the Romans. So that the enemies could not recognize and steal this shield, King Numa Pompilia ordered the skilled blacksmith Mammuria to make eleven accurate copies. By tradition, the commander, going to the war, called Mars with the words "Mars, BDI!", And then led these shields and spear into motion. Mars served two ancient priestly colleges. "Marsy Distributors" committed a rite of burning the victim, and 12 Saliyev ("Jumpers") kept the shrines of Mars and, putting the military armor, performed military dances and songs in the spring festival. Saliyev's procession was to show the readiness of the Roman troops to the annual campaign.

Mars was primarily the God of War. Therefore, the most ancient temple was located on a Mars field outside the city walls, as the armed army, according to custom, could not enter the territory of the city. It is not only that civil laws operated in the city, and beyond the unlimited military power of the commander. According to Roman ideas, speaking on a campaign, citizens turned into warriors who renounced peaceful life and had to kill, desecrating themselves with cruelty and bloodshed. The Romans believed that it was necessary to get rid of this desecration with the help of special cleaning rituals.

Sacrifice Bull, Sheep, Pig

Therefore, in the cult of Mars, as in Roman religion, in general, the rites of cleansing were attached very important importance. Gathering on a Mars field, armed citizens appealed to Mars when the city's purification rigging. Marsa also dedicated to the ceremony of cleansing horses, weapons and military pipes during the festivated festivities, which began and completed the season of military campaigns. The ceremony of purification also accompanied the census of the population and assessing the property of citizens. On this occasion, another king of servicing Tully brought for all the army, built on the centuries, a particularly solemn sacrifice - a boar, sheep and bull. Such a cleansing victim was called Latin Lustrum, and the same word of Romans called a five-year term between the next qualification.

Another very interesting Roman festival is also associated with the rites of cleansing the troops, which copefully on October 1st on the occasion of the end of summer hostilities. He included a kind of ritual: the entire army returning out of the campaign passed under a wooden bar, which was thrown across the street and was called "sister timber". The descent of this rite tells a well-known legend of the martial arts of the three Roman twin brothers Horati and the three twins of Kuritzia from the city of Alba Long. According to the legend, the third Roman king Tull Hotel, which was superior to Romulus, began warningly, began a war with the relatives of Albanians. Coming for the decisive battle, opponents to avoid common bloodshed, agreed to decide the outcome of the war in the fight of the best warriors. The Romans were put up by the Goraciyev brothers, and the Albanian army - Kuriaqiyev, equal to them age and force. Before the fighting of priests-fucals, spending all the rituals, concluded an agreement on such conditions: whose fighters will be in martial arts, the people will peacefully rule over the other. According to the conditional sign in front of the two armies, the young people agreed in a fierce battle. After a stubborn battle, three Albanians were injured, but they could still stay on their legs, and two Romans died. Curias, welcomed by joyful cries of fellow citizens, surrounded the last of Horatiyev. He, seeing that he could not cope with three opponents immediately, turned to her feigned flight. He calculated that, having pursued him, the smoke brothers would stop apart, and he will be able to overcome them a one. So it came out. A whole and unsubstantiated Horace in turn pierces three opponents.

The proud victory of the Roman army returned to Rome. The first was the hero of Horace, carrying armor, filmed from the defeated enemies. In front of the city gates, he was met by his sister, which was a bride of one of the Kuricians. Having learned among the trophies of the brother of a raincoat, crashed herself for the bridegroom, she realized that he was alive. Reducing her hair, the girl began to mourn her beloved groom. Screaming sisters so outraged a harsh brother that he grabbed the sword, on which the blood of the defeated enemies had not dried, and the girl was broken. At the same time, he exclaimed: "Go to the bridegroom, despicable! You forgot about the brothers - about the dead and about living, - forgot about the fatherland. Let every Roman dies so, which will mourn the enemy! "

Under the law for this murder, the court had to endure the young man in the death sentence. But after applying to the people of the Holy Arctic and his father, the hero was justified. Horace-Father stated that he believed his daughter killed by right, but she would have happened in a different way, he would have punished his son with his father's authority. So that the murder was still redeemed, the father commanded to spend the cleansing of the Son. Having made special cleansing sacrifices, the father threw a bar across the street and, the head of the young man, told him to go under the bar, which formed an arch. This bar and received the name "sister", and the passage under the arch was in Rome a ritual of purification for all troops. It is possible that this simplest arch has become a prototype of those triumphant arches, which subsequently erected in Rome in honor of the victorious commander and their troops. The soldiers participating in the triumph, passing under the arch, like the Horace, purified themselves from traces of murders and cruelty committed in war to again become normal peaceful citizens.

By the way, and the Roman Triumph itself (we will talk about) presented in their essence a religious event. He dedicated to the Supreme God of the Roman Community - Jupiter Capitolia. Going to war, the Roman commander gave vows on the Capitol Hill, where the main Temple of Rome was located dedicated to Jupiter. Returning the winner, the commander for his progress brought gratitude to the gratitude on behalf of the Roman people who had rewarded him by the triumph. The Triumfator went into the city on a chariot, harvested by a four white horses, similar to the horses of Jupiter and the Sun (which also seemed to be God). The commander himself was dressed in a purple tower with golden stars wedged on it. This robe specially for triumph was issued from the temple treasury. In one hand he held a rod of ivory, and in the other - a palm branch. He was decorated with a laurel wreath, and the face was painted with red paint. Such a look liked the commander-triumph of the Jupiter himself. Behind the back of the Triumfatcher stood a slave who kept her head of a golden crown, also taken from the temple of Jupiter. So that at the time of his highest celebration, the commander was not accumulated, the slave exclaimed, turning to him: "Remember that you are a man!", And called him: "Look back!". At the end of the triumphal ceremony, the commander launched a golden crown and a palm branch to the statue of Jupiter, returned the robe to the temple treasury and arranged a ritual feast on the capitol in honor of the gods.

Private warriors before the beginning of the triumphal procession performed cleansing rites in front of the altar of one of the gods, dedicated to the images of the image and brought weapons captured from the enemy. After that, the warriors, together with other participants in the triumphal ceremony, made a letter of thanks to the Capitol in the presence of the Senate. In honor of the Supreme Divine, heard white bulls with moaling moisters.

Jupiter also dedicated to solemn festive prayers in the Capitolian temple on the occasion of the most prominent victories of Roman weapons. And the more norrigiously the victory was, the more day the divinence continued. His participants put on wreaths, carried in the hands of the Lava branch; Women dissected her hair and went to the ground before the images of the gods.

As the main god of Roman power, victories and glory, Jupiter worshed under the name of the greatest greatest. In all periods of the history of the ancient Rome, Jupiter, the greatest performed by the patron of the Rome state. After the empire came to replace the republican, Jupiter became the patron saint of the ruling emperor. It is quite natural that the soldiers and veterans of the Imperial Army allocated Jupiter among other gods. Cooking the birthday of his military unit, the soldiers brought the main sacrifice to Jupiter. Annually on January 3, the warriors, according to the established custom, brought the oath to the loyalty to the emperor. On this day, a new altar in honor of Jupiter was solemnly installed on the platform, and the old burned to the ground. Obviously, it was done in order to strengthen the oath strength, consecrating it with the name of the most powerful deity.

The main shrine of each Roman Legion is connected with Jupiter - a legion eagle. The eagle was generally considered the bird of Jupiter and on many coins was depicted as a symbol of the Roman state. About how the eagle became a legion banner, tells the following legend. One day, titans, unbridled powerful deities, opposed the younger generation of the gods headed by Jupiter. Before the speech on the battle with Titans, Jupiter performed the birds - after all, the gods, in the opinion of the ancient Romans and the Greeks, were subject to all kinds of fate, "and it was the eagle who appeared to him as a sign, becoming a victory. Therefore, Jupiter accepted the eagle under his patronage and made the main sign of the Legion.

The legion eagles were depicted with straightened wings and were made of bronze and coated with either gilding or silver. Later they began to do from pure gold. Losing an eagle in battle was considered with nothing with a comparable disorder. Legion, who made it dishonor, bloomed and stopped his existence. As special shrines also revered the icons of individual units that were part of the Legion. Roman soldiers believed that military signs, including legion eagles, possess a divine supernatural essence, and treated them with a huge trembling and love, surrounding them as the same worship as the gods. In the military camp, the eagle and other signs were placed in a special sanctuary where the statues of gods and emperors also put. In honor of the banners committed sacrifices and initiations. On holidays, the eagle and banners were lubricated with oil and decorated specially using roses for this. An oath, which brings before military banners, was equivalent to the oath before the gods. The birthday of the Legion or the military unit was worshiped as an eagle birthday or banners. Military signs were attached to the emblems of the military unit and the images of those combat awards, which she deserved in battles and campaigns.

As in modern armies, banners were for the Romans of the symbols of military honor and glory. But their reverence in the Roman army was based primarily on religious feelings and ideas. Soldier's love for his banners and religion were inseparable from each other. The sacred ban leave the banner was the first requirement of military debt in Rome. This is convinced by many episodes of Roman military history. For the sake of preserving his banners, Roman warriors were ready to sacrifice life without life. Therefore, in the critical moments of the battle, the Roman commander was often used such a characteristic reception: a bannamers or a warlord himself challenged the banner in the thick of the enemies or in an enemy camp or he himself rushed forward with the banner in his hands. And in order not to be disgraced, having lost the banner, the warriors were forced to fight with desperate dedication. It is said that for the first time such a reception was used by Series Tully, fighting under the beginning of the king of Tarquinia against Sabinyan.

In the Roman state, a great importance was always attached to the return of the banners lost in the war. This event was noted as a national celebration. His honor produced memorable coins. And when in 16 G.n. e. It was possible to repel the Roman banners who captured by them, including the Eagle, the special memorandum was erected in Rome in honor of this event.

A very important event in the life of all the troops and every individual soldier was to bring the military oath. She was considered a sacred oath. Giving it, the warriors devoted themselves to the gods, primarily Mars and Jupiter, and received the patronage of their actions on their part. The solemn oath associated the army with the commander of the fear of the kara from the sides of the gods in the event of a violation of military debt. The warrior who broke the oath was considered a criminal against the gods. At the beginning of the III century. BC E., During the hard war with the Samutor, it was even adopted by the law, according to which, if the young man was not on the call of a commander or deserted, violating the oath, his head was dedicated to Jupiter. Obviously, the Romans believed that the soldier who refused in obedience to the commander, insulted the god of Roman combat glory.

The oath, entering the ranks of the troops, brought every soldier. Commanders collected recruits on the legions, chose from their number of more suitable and demanded an oath from him that he would be unquestioned to obey the commander and as they would fulfill the orders of the chiefs. All other warriors, speaking forward one by one, swore that they would continue to do the same as the first.

During the period of the empire (I - IV centuries. N. E.) In the army, as in the entire Roman state, the imperial cult is gaining widespread. Rome rulers began to provide divine honors. The emperors who have enormous power and inaccessible greatness worshiped as a real god. Statues and other images of emperors were considered sacred as legion eagles and other military signs. At first only the dead rulers were deified. Later, some emperors began to recognize the gods already in life. The members of the imperial family, including women, were also surrounded by divine worship. The immediate object of worship was the genius and the virtues of the emperor. As special holidays have noted the birthdays of the ditround and healthy rulers, the days of the Edema on the throne and the days of the most glorious victories are obsessed with the license of the emperor. Over time, such holidays have become a lot. Therefore, some of them slowly canceled. But still there remained a lot.

If we consider that in parts of the Roman army, all government festivals associated with the traditional gods of Rome were copied, then a lot of holidays opened a lot. On average, once every two weeks (if, of course, there was no fighting) The soldiers of the imperial army were able to relax from the same time and monotony of the daily service. On such days, instead of the usual impaired soldier soldier, they could taste an abundant treat with meat, fruit and wine. But the value of the festivities, of course, was not limited. Festive events were supposed to inspire the idea that the emperors were endowed with a supernatural force that the gods helps the Roman state that the banners of military units are sacred. The main task of the army religion is the first of all the imperial cult, it was to ensure the devotion of the soldiers of Rome and its rulers.

At the same time, religion had to show what it means to be a good soldier, what qualities he should possess. For a long time, in Rome as a deity, such qualities and concepts, as a valor, honor, piety, loyalty were worshiped. Separate temples and altars were built for them. In II century n. e. As a deity, the military began to read discipline. Very popular was in the troops of the goddess of Victory - Victoria. Usually it was depicted (including on banners) in the form of a beautiful woman with a wreath in her hands. Hercules, son of Jupiter, an invincible warrior, a mighty defender of ordinary people, used great popularity among the soldiers.

The religious life of the army was not limited to traditional deities and the imperial cult, whose execution was prescribed and controlled by the bosses. An ordinary soldier and officer was important to feel the support of such divine patrons, which were always there. Therefore, a cult of all sorts of geniuses received a very large spread in the army. These patrons are patrons depicted in the form of boys who kept the cup with wine and horn of abundance in their hands. Especially widespread soldiers revered the geniuses of Centuria and Legion. His geniuses were also among those locality where the military unit was located, at military camps, barracks, hospitals, a racing placle, colleges, which united officers and soldiers of senior ranks. Even the military oath and banners had their special geniuses surrounded by cult worship.

Jupiter Dolikhen

During the Empire, the Roman troops carried the service in different parts of the extensive power, they made distant hiking and therefore had the opportunity, communicating with the locals, to get acquainted with their beliefs. Over time, not only the Romans, but also representatives of other peoples - Greeks, Thracians, Syrians, Galls began to call in the ranks of the army. All this contributed to the penetration into the army of foreign cults. So among the soldiers there was a faith in the eastern gods, for example, God of Waal from the Syrian city of Dolichen. He was revered under the name of Jupiter Dolichensky. After the war with Parfians at the end of I.N. e. Many Roman military became fans of the Persian Sun God Mitra, who personified the power and courage. The soldiers of the Nehriman origin, entering the service in the army, of course, worshiped, as required by the command, Roman gods, but at the same time they kept faith in their old tribal gods and sometimes even joined her colleagues from among the Romans.

Thus, religious beliefs of Roman soldiers did not remain unchanged. However, it was in the army that the ancient Roman cults and rites remained much longer and more stronger than among civilians. Conquering numerous tribes and peoples, the Romans never sought to impose their faith to them. But they have always been convinced that no military success is unresponsible without the support of domestic deities, without the special Roman military spirit, which was largely brought up with Rome's religious traditions.

Roman Army in the Epoch of the Republic

When at the beginning of the V c. n. e. The Roman state under the blows of militant barbarian tribes has already bent to the final decline, one Roman writer decided to write a book about the Military business of Romans to remind his contemporaries, what was the Roman army in a glorious past. The name of this writer Flavius \u200b\u200bWenting Renat. He himself was not a military man, but very carefully examined a large number of ancient essays and selected for his "summary of military business" the most valuable from the experience of the former generations. The author hoped that his book would help to revive the former power of the Roman army.

This hope, however, was not destined to come true. But wonders managed to figure out perfectly, in which the real power of the Roman military device was. At the very beginning of his work, looking at the great past Rome, he wrote:

"We see that the Roman people subordinate to themselves the whole universe only thanks to military exercises, thanks to the art, it is good to arrange a camp and their military aassu. In which a person could manide the Romans against the mass of Galov? What could the other be a bit of the Romans in their bold struggle against the Turkish Germans? It is obvious that the Spaniards exceeded our not only a number, but also by bodily strength. We have never been equal to African neither cunning nor wealth. No one will challenge that in martial art and theoretical knowledge we gave way to the Greeks. But we always won the fact that you knew how to skillfully choose recruits, teach them, so to speak, the laws of weapons, to temper daily exercises, to preliminarily foresee during exercises, everything that could happen in the ranks and during the battle, and finally, to severely punish loans "

In his book of Women, it is mainly about the Roman army of the first centuries of our era, and we will also turn to his information when we approach this period of the Military History of Rome. However, it should not be overlooked that many military orders, traditions, methods of battles and learning arose much earlier, during the days of the republic. And although the Roman military art and the army itself are constantly developing, their main foundations remained for many centuries.

Long before the wise, the Military Organization of the Romans caused admiration for those who could observe her in case or to experience her intolerable power. One of these people was the great Greek historian of Polybius, who lived in II century. BC e. Being for many years in Rome, he carefully watched and studied his state and military device. He learned a lot from communicating with famous Roman military leaders and government officials. Polybiy and he himself understood in military business and even devoted him several of his writings. The result of his reflection on the reasons for the rapid elevation of Rome, he summed up in its main work - "Universal History". In it, Polybiy described the great Roman conquests of III - II centuries in detail. BC e. At the same time, he paid the closest attention to the Roman military organization, which is just in its times, after a number of centuries of continuous wars, fully developed and revealed its strongest parties. It is at the Polybia that we find the most detailed and reliable information about the Roman army of the Republican time. We will mainly rely on them in this chapter.

What is the Greek Historian sees the main reasons for the invincibility of the Roman army, its unsurpassed advantages?

In the first place, he puts the unity of the people and troops. Comparing Rome with its strongest enemy by Carthage, polybium indicates:

".. The appropriation should be given to the Roman state device before Carthaginsky, because the state of the Carthaginian every time places its hope for the preservation of freedom, on the courage of mercenaries, and the Roman for the validity of their own citizens and the help of allies. Therefore, if sometimes the Romans and crawl at first, but in the following battles restore their forces quite, and the Carthaginians, on the contrary ... defending their homeland and children, the Romans can never cool down to the fight and lead the war with a relaxed zeal to the end until the enemy is worse. "

Learning more about the peoples of the past, unwittingly affect the cruelty and bloodshed of some of the oldest rites. An example of this is the customs of ancient Romans. Despite the fact that they themselves called themselves humanists, and in the history there were known as developed civilization, ancient Roman history also tells us about the terrible victims of rituals, which people often became interested.

Speaking of ancient Rome, it is immediately worth remembering the history of its creation. It turns out to be far from bloodless. The famous Romul and Rem brothers argued, which of them will become the "father" of the future city. Since the signs indicated on the equality of the brothers, they did not decide on their decision. Romulus decided that it was time to be achieved for the work and began to dig the first pit for the Rum, which would surround the city and helped build walls. Rem in the mockery jumped up a small groove, diverted brother. He got angry and hit him with his shovel. It turned out to be death. The conviction did not receive this act. On the contrary, the Romans were subsequently happening that anyone who would eat on their borders deserves death. This story eloquent emphasizes that the people of Ancient Rome were far from such humating, as they wanted to appear.

Despite the bloody story of the founding of Rome, it should be noted that in ancient state, human sacrifices were not so often performed. One of the most massive phenomena of this was executions, however, most executed were criminals, and the very action was devoted to the deities of justice, which, in the opinion of the Romans, carefully treated the correctness of the procedure.

One of the most tary opponents of sacrifices in the form of people was Numa Pubrugi, the wise ruler of ancient Rome. Known a legend about his conversation with Jupiter himself. The deity that was distinguished by a harsh temper and even bloodthirstiness, demanded to bring human heads as a gift. The cunning numa managed to talk a conversation so that even God had to give up to him, agreeing to take a gift only things or food. This myth largely reflects the attitude of the Romans to the ritual executions that were not in a special employee.

Pretty peculiar was the celebration of the days of another God - Saturn. In the period Saturnalia executed all criminals. On the first day of the celebration chose the main person who was called the "king of Saturnali". Often, he was also accused of a crime. After that, for seven days, he fired the holiday, and his execution ceremony was held in the triumph final, which was dedicated to the Divine. In the oldest times of Saturnalia were marked by numerous ritual sacrifices, but subsequently, this tradition was changed. The Romans simply gave each other the clay figures of the little men.

A similar replacement for victims of flesh and blood Residents of Rome invented for Goddess Mania. She patronized families and defended the dwellings, however, it was extremely cruel. For the well-being of the family of the goddess demanded the head of the child. The Roman people wisely reedded this gift, and therefore, for the goddess by hand, women made woolen dolls. Also sacrificed the goddess brought the heads of Mac, who symbolized children's heads. The symbol, of course, is terrible, but the solution for replacing is clearly reasonable.

Unlike Greeks, Romans really treated victims of humane. One of the ancient customs told that the sins of the inhabitants of the coastal region could atone for a person who was dropped into the sea. The Greeks had a criminal who was sometimes equipped with the semblance of wings so that they could protect it during fall. The Romans again came up with a replacement for a bloody rite - they flew the scarecrow made from wool and straw in the water.

Nevertheless, the victims were not always symbolic. When a duel occurred between the Horace and Curias brothers, in the sources describing it, there is a hint of faith in the effectiveness of bloodshed. The public, which won all by smoking, exclaims that all three brothers of this kind he brought to the gift of the deities and souls of their own killed brothers.

The terrible execution expected the servants of the gods, which put the law prescribed by him. Traditionally Vestniki, which was streets in connection with a man, caught death. It was believed that the burial of the guilty girl would sleep alive by the goddess Vesta, which exceeded everything appreciated the chastity. The unfortunate priestess led to the basement, where there were some food and drink. When she turned out inside him, the entrance to the room was buried the earth.

There were voluntary sacrifices. They practiced among military leaders. It was believed that before a dangerous fight, the commander can read a special prayer, after which the battle must rush to the most "baked". During this act, the soldier often climbed the martial spirit, since the Romans believed that she would have accepting the sacrifice, the gods would help. If the warlord remained alive, then a straw doll was buried instead, and he himself pulled away from all sorts of rituals.

One of the most popular and well-known validity, which was also defined rituals were gladiatorial battles. These were not competitions and not just games, where participants demonstrated their strength, and the losers died. Every match was carried out in honor of the gods, which solved the outcome of the struggle. If the execution of the wounded was carried out by the decision of the people, it was also considered to be a limit to the gods that were patrons of competitions.

The history of sacrifices during the rule of the ancient Rome is very ambiguous. On the one hand, the Romans tried to get away from the execution of people with all sorts of ways, but, on the other, they were not averse to turning the ritual into a spectacular action, which was not going to see. All this reflects the essence of the world of antiquity - a cruel, militant and uncompromising, but filled with philosophy, spiritual basis and wisdom.

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The one who carefully read the previous chapter obviously realized that the attitude of the Romans to the war initially determined two main circumstances. This, firstly, the peasant traction to the ground, and secondly, the desire of the aristocracy to glory. The war was considered by the Romans as a peculiar continuation of peasant labor (and demanded how we saw, typically peasant qualities). On the other hand, she was a matter in which the true prowess of those who want to become famous and take a high place in the Roman state could be most fully. At the same time, in Roman attitude to war, a lot will remain incomprehensible if you do not understand the original religious beliefs and the customs of the Romans.

Of all the states of antiquity, perhaps, only in ancient Rome war and the conquest did not just have become the most important goal of society, but also considered the case, approved and supported by the gods. Already in the early days of the Republic of Censors, referring to the prayer to the gods, called for them to contribute not only to the prosperity, but also to the expansion of the Roman state. The Romans themselves and military successes of their state explained the special location of the gods that the Roman people deserved their exceptional piety. This conviction expressed in one of his speeches Cicero: "We did not surpassed the Spaniards with their number, nor Galov by force, nor Bunny, cunning, nor the Greeks of the arts; Neither finally, even Italians and Latins internal and congenital sense of love for their homeland inherent in our tribe and country; But with piety, honing the gods and the wise confidence that everyone leads and operates the will of the gods, we surpassed all the tribes and peoples. "

What was the originality of Roman religion? What role are religious performances and rites playing in war?

Unlike the Greeks, initially the Romans did not imagine their gods in the form of living human-like images and did not create bright myths telling about their origin and adventures, about the emergence of space and man. A peculiar mythology of Romans served by their own heroic history, filled with outstanding acts to the glory of the Fatherland. For a long time in Rome, the images of the deities were undefined and their appearance was unknown, so the Romans did even without statues and other images of their gods. But the deities of the Romans were an innumerable amount. Not only the great forces of nature were deified, but even such actions and states, as a plowing, fencing of borders, the first cry of the child, fear, shame, pallor, etc. The Roman gods were spiritualizing all sorts of earthly phenomena, and they lived everywhere: in trees, stones, in sources and groves, in a home focus and barn. Die ancestors were considered special deities. In addition, each person and each terrain, village, river or source had their own patron spirit - genius.But at the same time, in the Roman religion, unlike many religions of the East, there was nothing mysterious and supernatural. She did not excite in people of the sacred trepidation. From the gods, Romans were not waiting for any miracles, but help in specific affairs. To get this help, it was necessary only to carefully fulfill all the installed rites and bring plenty of the gods of the victim. If the worship was committed in a fit, then the gods, according to Romans, were simply obliged to help. Relations between them and believers had a purely business, negotiable. Making a worship service and sacrifice, the Romans as if he said to the Deity: "I give you so that you will give me."

However, the correct appeal to the deity was by no means a simple matter, since the number of the gods themselves, and the number of situations where their participation was required, was very large. And it was important to choose to choose to which God or goddess, with what words and rites and at what point to turn. Even a small mistake could bring the wrath of the gods, to break the fact that the Romans called "peace with the gods". Therefore, in the life of the Roman society, people played a huge role in these issues - priestsspeaking guardians of Divine Knowledge and Traditions. The priests united in the "partnership" - college,heated veneration of a deity or some kind of specific type of priesthood.

Among the priestly colleges were the most important colleges pontiffs, Augustand garuspikov,and also those that served as the highest gods of Rome - Jupiter and Mars. Pontiffs carried out the highest supervision of services in Rome, made up a state calendar, determined the appropriate days to appeal to the gods and holding the people's assembly. August - Pieces rates - figured out and interpreted by the will of the gods according to certain signs, or the signs that were atmospheric phenomena, flight and behavior of birds or other animals. Garuspiki predicted the future on the internals of sacrificial animals (mainly on the liver). The "science" of predictions, mainly borrowed by the Romans from the Etruscans, had extremely important in Rome. Any political, governmental or military decision was preceded by extinguishing, the results of which were interpreted by August and Garuspiki. These specialists were necessarily in the retinue of the commander during the troops. In each military camp, Romans near the tent of the Communist Party, a special place for conducting birds was highlighted - august.Only with a prosperous outcome of the gadas was considered possible to enter into a battle, to conduct elections for public positions or vote the law in the People's Assembly.

Pontiff

Augur with chicken

But what kind of case tells the ancient Greek writer Plutarch. When in 223 BC e. Consuls of Flaming and Furi moved with a large army to the Gallic tribe of Insurbov, one of the rivers in Italy flowed blood, and three moon seemed in the sky. The priests, who observed during the consular elections for the flight of birds, said that the proclamation of new consuls was incorrect and accompanied by sinister omens. Therefore, Senate immediately sent a letter to the camp, calling the consuls as soon as possible and folded the power, without taking any action against the enemy. However, Flaming, having received this letter, printed it only after he entered the battle and broke the enemy. When he returned to Rome with rich prey, the people did not meet him and for the fact that the consul did not obey the message of the Senate, almost refused to him in the triumph. But immediately after triumph, both consul were renounced from power. "To what extent, -concludes Plutarchs - represented by the Romans every case for the consideration of the gods and even at the biggest luck did not allow neither the slightest disregard for obnomen and other customs, considering the more useful and important for the state so that their commander was honored with religion, rather than defeated the enemy. "

The right to conduct Auspics and other religious rituals was the necessary and very important part of those powers that the highest magistrates were endowed. The priests essentially only helped officials to commit sacrifices and other rites. The priests themselves in Rome, like the Magistratsky, were elected, although they were engaged, as a rule, for life. And those and other posts often combined to, as Cicero wrote, "Some and the same persons managed both the ministry of the immortal gods and the most important state-owned states, in order to be prominent and glorified by citizens, well managed by the state, protected religion, and wisely interpret the requirements of religion, wanted the well-being of the state."

The relationship of state policy, war and religion clearly manifested itself in the activities of the special collegium of priests fucials.She appeared in the fourth Roman king Anke Marce. They say that he barely only ascended the throne, as neighboring Latins dared and made a raid on the Roman lands. When the Romans demanded to compensate the damage caused, the Latins gave an arrogant answer. They calculated that Ank Marillion, like his grandfather Noma Pubrugi, will hold a reign among prayers and sacrifices. But the enemies calculated. The ANC turned out to be similar to Number not only with Num, but also with Romulo and decided to answer the challenge of the neighbors. However, to establish legal order and for war, the ANC introduced special ceremonies accompanying the announcement of the war, and instructed their execution to the Priests-fucias. This is how the Roman historian Tit Libya describes this ceremony: "Ambassador, having come to the borders of those from whom they require satisfaction, covers their head with a woolen bedspread and says:" Jupiter, Jupiter, choke the frontier of the tribe of such something (here he calls the name); Yes, I hears the Vyshni law. I am a heartbell of the entire Roman people, rightfully and honor I come to the ambassador, and my words will be done! " Next, it calculates everything required. Then he takes the witnesses of Jupiter: "If the wrong and wickedly demand me, so that these people and these things are issued to me, let me lose me forever belonging to my fatherland." If he does not receive what it requires, after 33 days, he declares war as follows: "Jupiter, Jupiter, and you, Janus Quirin, and all the gods of heavenly, and you, earthly, and you, underground, are thrill! I take you to witnesses that this people (here he calls, which one) violated the right and does not want to restore it. "

It did not exist in other peoples and special seasonal military holidays, what were the Romans. Most of these festivities were dedicated to Marsa, the most ancient and most revered from the Italian gods. According to the poet Ovid, "Above all other gods were honored in the ancient times of Mars: this would have shown the warlike man."Marsa was dedicated to the first day and the first month of the year - on the old Roman calendar year began on March 1st. This month itself was called on behalf of God. Marsa Romans represented the fadder of the wader of herd and fighter for citizens. It was in March that the main military holidays coped: the 14th day - the day of the forging of the shields; 19th - Day of the Military Dance on the Square of the People's Assembly, and the 23rd - the day of the consecration of military pipes, which marked the final readiness of the Roman community to the beginning of the war. After that day, the Roman army performed in the next trip, opening the season of the war that lasted until autumn. In the autumn, on October 19, another military holiday was held in honor of Mars - the day of cleansing weapons. He marked the completion of hostilities by sacrifice Mars Kony.

One of the sacred animals of Mars was also a wolf who was considered a kind of coat of arms of the Roman state. The main symbol of God served as a spear, stored in the Tsarist Palace along with the twelve sacred shields. According to legend, one of these shields fell from the sky and was the key to the invincibility of the Romans. So that the enemies could not recognize and steal this shield, King Numa Pompilia ordered the skilled blacksmith Mammuria to make eleven accurate copies. By tradition, the commander, going to the war, called Mars with the words "Mars, BDI!", And then led these shields and spear into motion. Mars served two ancient priestly colleges. "Marsi Deciry"made a rite of burning victim, and 12 saliyev("Jangunov") kept the shrines of Mars and, putting the battle armor, performed military dances and songs at the spring festival in his honor. Saliyev's procession was to show the readiness of the Roman troops to the annual campaign.

Sacrifice Bull, Sheep, Pig

Jupiter Dolikhen

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