Romanæ historiæ anthologia An English exposition of the Romane antiquities, wherein many Romane and English offices are paralleld and divers obscure phrases explained. By Thomas Godwyn Master of Arts: for the vse of Abingdon Schoole.

CHAP. 16.

De Marte, sive Mavorte, & Salijs Palatinis Marti dicatis.

MArs otherwise called Mavors by the figure Epen∣thesis, we say Induperator for Imperator, was re∣puted the God of warre, & so Metonymic••s is vsed for warre; as vario Marte pugnatum est, the battell was doubtful; proprio Marte, by ones owne strength, & labor. He was the sonne of Iuno onely without company of her husband: for when Iuno was greatly displeased with her selfe, that Iupiter by striking his head without company of a woman did bring forth the goddesse Minerva, shee by the coūsel of the goddesse Flora touched a certain? flowre in the field of Olenius, by vertue whereof shee immediatly conceaued the God Mars. This God by reason of his do∣minion in warre, the Romans painted fiery, sometimes in his chariot, sometimes on horse-backe, with a iauelin in one hand, and a scourge in the other. In old coines there was sometimes the picture of a cocke ioyned with him, to shew the vigilancy, and carefulnesse that souldiers are to vse. He was calledx 1.1 Gradivus à gradiendo, from marching in battell against his enimies. He had a temple without the citie, whence he was called Extramuraneus.y 1.2 Neere vnto this temple without the gate Capena did lie a stone of great note, which vpon great drouths the people would bring into the citie, and presently rayne would follow, wherevp∣on it was called the Raine-stone. Lapis manalis à manando, Numa Pompilius in the honour of Mars surnamed Gradi∣vus

ordained 12 dauncing priests called Salij àz 1.3 saliendo from dauncing, which number afterward we finde to haue beene doubled by Tullus Hostilius in the warre against Fidena a towne of the Sabines. The former 12 being called Salij Palatini, from the Palatine mount, where they did be∣ginne their mauriske; the others Collini from the hill where their chappell stood;a 1.4 and sometimes Quirinales, & sometimes Agonales: so that the Whole college contained 24 priests.b 1.5 The occasion of their first institution was this: vpon a certaine time in the raigne of Numa, the plague or some other contagious sicknesse was very hot among the Romans, insomuch that no sacrifice, or holy offering could remoue it: at that time a certaine brasen target, or scutc••i∣on called in Latine aenea pelta, or ancile, bigg at both ends, but cut like an halfe moone on each side fell from heauē in∣to Numa his hāds, with a certain voice promising al health vnto Rome so long as that brasē target could be kept safe. Wherevpō Mamurius a cūningwork-man by the appoint∣ment of Numa made eleaven other ancilia so like the first, that neither could be known from the other: (to the iatēt that if any should be so wicked minded as to steale it, hee might faile of his purpose by mistaking one for another.) These twelue Priests had the custody and keeping of them cōmitted to their charge, & in the month of March everie yeere they apparelled themselues with a party coloured coat, called tunica versicolor, girt cloase to their body, with a belt, or sword-girdle, and a breast-plate of harnesse cal∣led aneum tegmen vpon that, & a robe of estate called tra∣bea clasped about them vpmost of all. Vpō their heads they did weare apices .i. capsc 1.6 much like vnto the Persian bon∣nets called in greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. They did somwhat resemble our head-peeces in warre made close vnto the head, with a crest of cloath Vpon the top, whence some haue called them galeas. They being thus apparelled daun∣ced about the Forum, or market-place, & the Capitol with short swords by their sides, a iavelin in the right hand, and

their ancile in the other; vsing certaine songs either of the Gods, and those they called Ianualij, Iunonij, and Miner∣vij; or of men, and those they called axamenta, because in those songs they did axare .i. nominate and call vpon the names of some well deserving men: as Mamurius which made those eleaven scutchions, was often called vpon in those songs. Vpon these their festivall daies they had ex∣cesse of cheere, whenced 1.7 Horace hath vsed saliares dapes, to signifie dainty fare.

Notes

• x 1.1

  Rosin. an∣tiq. lib. ••. c. 10▪
• y 1.2

  Rosin. Ibid.
• z 1.3

  Plutarch. in Numa.
• a 1.4

  Dion. Hali∣carn. lib. 2.
• b 1.5

  Plutarch. in Numa.
• c 1.6

  Dion. Hali∣car. lib. 2.
• d 1.7

  Horat. lib. 1 Ode 37.