The Ides of September & Chocolate Day

13 September: Romans called it the Ides of September, and on this date celebrated with a feast known as Epulum Jovis.
Wikipedia:

In ancient Roman religion, the Epulum Jovis was a sumptuous ritual feast offered to Jove on the Ides of September (September 13) and a smaller feast on the Ides of November (November 13). It was celebrated during the Ludi Romani ("Roman Games") and the Ludi Plebeii ("Plebeian Games").

The gods were formally invited, and attended in the form of statues. These were arranged on luxurious couches (pulvinaria) placed at the most honorable part of the table. Fine food was served, as if they were able to eat. The priests designated as epulones, or masters of the feast, organized and carried out the ritual, and acted as "gastronomic proxies" in eating the food.

Another description of the proceedings, this from The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic by William Warde Fowler:

........We may agree with the latest investigator of the Jupiter-cult that the origin of the epulum is to be looked for in a form of thanksgiving to Jupiter for preservation of the state from perils of the war season, and that no better date could be found for it than the foundation date of the Capitoline temple. This epulum was one of the most singular and striking scenes in Roman public life. It began with a sacrifice; the victim is not mentioned but it was no doubt a heifer, and probably a white one. Then took place the epulum proper, which the three deities of the Capitol seem to have shared in visible form with the magistrates and senate. The images of the gods were decked out as for a feast and the face of Jupiter painted red with minium, like that of the triumphator. Jupiter had a couch, and Juno and Minerva each a sella (chair), and the meal went on in their presence.

The Capitoline Triad was introduced to Rome by the Tarquins, and perhaps was an Etruscan creation. It is possible that the Etruscans looked on Minerva as a goddess of destiny, in addition to the royal couple Uni (Juno) and Tinia (Jupiter). In Rome, Minerva later assumed a military aspect under the influence of Athena Pallas. With the advent of the Republic, it is thought that Jupiter became the only king of Rome, rather than simply the first of the great gods.

That was then, this is now - today we content ourselves by celebrating International Chocolate Day (who knew?) Hey, at least we don't have to sacrifice a white heifer!

Arty Farty Fresco Friday

Today, 19 March, in Roman times marked a celebration known as Quinquatria (5th after the Ides (15th) of March), honoring Minerva, goddess of poetry, medicine, wisdom, commerce, weaving, crafts, magic, and the inventor of music. Wikipedia also tells that, as this festival was sacred to Minerva, women were accustomed to consult fortune-tellers and diviners on this day.

A dip into Google Image set me on a cyber route to Italy in search of art featuring Minerva, the month of March, and a touch of astrology.

Renaissance artists Francesco del Cossa and Cosmè Tura, between 1460 and 1470, designed and painted a set of frescoes in the Palazzo Schifanoia - a pleasure palace belonging to the Dukes of Este who ruled Ferrara, in northern Italy, for several centuries. In the palace's Sala dei Mesi (Hall of the Months) were originally 12 huge separate fresco panels, floor to ceiling, one for each month.


The panels depict "allegories of the months" combining scenes from mythology, astrological references and illustrations of local life with its ruling Dukes. Each panel is divided into three horizontal sections- top: month, its planet and ancient divinity in triumphal procession; middle section shows the appropriate sign of the zodiac, bottom section depicts events relating to the time of year. Astrological input was, it is reported, overseen by Pellegrino Prisciani, professor of astrology.

Most panels have been lost to time and/or layers of whitewash later applied, but those for March, April and May have survived well. It's the March fresco "Allegory of March - Triumph of Minerva" which interests me today, and links back to Minerva and Quinquatria.

First image shows the complete March fresco, below it some enlargements of various sections. Minerva is being carried in procession in the top panel, which also depicts, on the left a group of poets and magistrates, on the right women with symbols of feminine labour. The middle layer represents the zodiac sign Aries, while the lower layer shows a hunting scene.












See http://www.abcgallery.com/I/italy/cossabio.html