The Floralia was a Roman festival of ancient Roman religion in honor of the goddess Flora, held on 27 April during the Roman Republic, or 28 April in the Julian calendar. The festival included Ludi Florae, the "Games of Flora", which lasted for six days under the Roman Empire.[H.H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (Cornell University Press, 1981), p. 110.]
The festival had a licentious, pleasure-seeking atmosphere. In contrast to many festivals which had a patrician character, the games of Flora were plebs in nature.[William Warde Fowler, The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic (London, 1908), p. 92.]
Flora
Flora is one of the most ancient goddesses of Roman religion and was one of fifteen deities to have her own state-supported high priest, the
flamen Florialis. A goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility, she received sacrifices
(piacula) in the sacred grove of the
Arval Brothers, an archaic priesthood.
[Fowler, Roman Festivals, p. 92; Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.] Her altar at Rome was said to have been established by the
Sabines king
Titus Tatius during the semi-legendary
Roman Kingdom.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.] Flusalis (linguistically equivalent to
Floralia) was a month on the Sabine calendar, and
Varro counted Flora among the Sabine deities.
[Fowler, Roman Festivals, p. 92.]
Temples of Flora
The Temple of Flora was built in Rome upon consultation with the
Sibylline Books shortly after a drought that occurred around 241–238 BCE. The temple was located near the
Circus Maximus on the lower slope of the
Aventine Hill, a site associated with the
plebs of Rome. Games were instituted for the founding day of the temple (28 April), and were held only occasionally until continued crop damage led to their annual celebration beginning in 173.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.]
Flora Rustica ("Rural Flora") had another temple on the Quirinal Hill, the Temple of Flora Rustica, which may have been the location of the altar erected by Tatius.[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.]
Games
The games
(ludi) of Flora were presented by the
and paid for by fines collected when public lands
(ager publicus) were encroached upon.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.] Cicero mentions his role in organizing games for Flora when he was aedile in 69 BC.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, pp. 110–111.] The festival opened with theatrical performances
(ludi scaenici), and concluded with competitive events and spectacles at the Circus and a sacrifice to Flora.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.] In AD 68, the entertainments at the Floralia presented under the emperor
Galba featured a
funambulism elephant.
[Suetonius, Life of Galba 6.1; Thomas E.J. Wiedemann, Emperors and Gladiators p. 63.]
Participation of prostitutes
Prostitutes participated in the Floralia as well as the wine festival (
Vinalia) on 23 April. According to the satirist
Juvenal,
[Juvenal, 6.249f.] prostitutes danced naked and fought in mock
gladiator combat.
[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 110.] Many prostitutes in ancient Rome were slaves, and even free women who worked as prostitutes lost their legal and social standing as citizens, but their inclusion at religious festivals indicates that they were not completely cast out from society.
[Thomas A.J. McGinn, Prostitution, Sexuality and the Law in Ancient Rome (Oxford University Press, 1998), p. 24.]
Observances
Ovid says that
and
—animals considered fertile and salacious—were ceremonially released as part of the festivities.
Persius says that the crowd was pelted with
, beans, and
, also symbols of fertility.
In contrast to the Cerealia, when white garments were worn, multi-colored clothing was customary.[Ovid, Fasti 5.355ff.] There may have been nocturnal observances, since sources mention measures taken to light the way after the theatrical performances.
A rite called the Florifertum is described by one source[Festus, 81 in the edition of Lindsay.] as involving the bearing (fert-) of wheat ears (spicae) into a shrine (sacrarium). It is unclear whether the offering was made to Flora[P.Wissowa, Religion und Kultus der Römer, 1912, München ; H.Le Bonniec, Le culte de Cérès à Rome des origines à la fin de la République, 1958, Paris; Kurt Latte, Römische Religionsgeschichte , 1960, Leipzig; P.Pouthier, Ops et la conception divine de l'abondance dans la religion romaine jusqu'à la mort d'Auguste, BEFAR 242, 1981, Rome.] or to Ceres,[Kurt Latte, Römische Religionsgeschichte , 1960, Leipzig.] or whether if made to Flora it occurred on 27 April or 3 May.[Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, p. 249.] Ovid describes a florifertum in honor of Juno Lucina on 1 March,[Ovid, Fasti 3.251-258: "Bear flowers to the Goddess; this Goddess rejoices in flowering plants" (ferte Deae (=Juno Lucina) flores; gaudet florentibus herbis haec Dea).] a date also celebrated as the dies natalis ("birthday") of Mars[F-H.Massa-Pairault, Lasa Vecu, Lasa Vecuvia, Dialoghi di Archeologia, 3,6, 1988.] in whose conception Flora played a role.
See also
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Maiuma (festival), Roman-era religious water festival held in May
-
May Queen
-
Roman festivals
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Rosalia, a festival of roses celebrated throughout the Roman Empire
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