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PAn was supposed to bee the God of the shep-heards, and isa 1.1 thus described: he is pictured naked, having hornes in likenesse of the sunne-beams, a long beard, his face red like the cleere aire, in his breast the starre Ne∣bris, the neather part of his body rough, his feete like a
goate: in one hand he holdeth a pipe, in the other a shep∣heards crooke, and alwaies is imagined to laugh.b 1.2 He was worshipped first in Arcadia, and there called the God Pan Lycaeus: but afterward he was had in great esteeme at Rome c 1.3 and in the honor of him certaine sacrifices, & games cal∣led Lupercalia were solemnized by the Romanes.d 1.4 There he tooke the name Inuus, or as some say Iunus. Concerning the time, whē these sacrifices were to be performed; it was vpon thee 1.5 vnfortunate daies of the month February, which hath his name à februando, from purging: whence the feast or game is as a purification; though the Latin word signi∣fieth as much as a feast of wolues, in a memoriall that Ro∣mulus, and Remus were nursed by a shee-woulfe. This see∣meth very probable, because the Priests, which were called Luperci began their course at the foote of the mount Pala∣tine, called by the Romanes Lupercal .i. the place, where the woulfe nursedf 1.6 Romulus. The ceremonies were these: The hoast (being two goates) was to be slaine; and two noble mens sonnes were to bee present, whose foreheads being blouded with the kniues of them that had slaine the goats, by & by were to be dryed vp with wooll dipped in milke. Then the young boyes must laugh immediately after their foreheads were dry. That done they cut the goats skins, & made thongs of them, which they tooke in their hands, & ran with them all about the city stark-naked (saving they had a cloath before their privities) and so they strook with those thongs all they met in the way. The young wiues did never shun them at all, but were well contented, to be stri∣kē with them; beleeving it helped them to be with childe, and also to be easily delivered. Moreover it is to be noted, that a dogge was sacrificed at this time, because there is a naturall antipathy, or contrariety of nature, betweene the dogge and the woulfe: whereby Romulus thought to testi∣fie his gratefulnesse vnto the woulfe for her paines in nou∣rishing him. The reason why the priests ranne vp & downe the streetes naked, was, because that Pan the God of this
sacrifice was painted naked. As the feast, so also the place from whence they came, and likewise the Priests had their names à Lupâ which signifieth a woulfe. Some authors haue observed three sorts of the Luperci, some called Fabi∣ani, some Quinctiliani, from Fabius, and Quinctilius their governours the third sort, whichg 1.7 Rosinus affirmeth to haue beene added in the honor of Iulius Caesar, I cannot finde according to his quotation in Suetonius. But thus much Suetonius saith inh 1.8 another place, namely that Au∣gustus Caesar when he was chiefe Pontifie did restore these games againe being formerly abolished.
Servius in Virg. Ecl. 2.
Fenestella d••••••cerd. c. 1.
Fenest. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
Pomponius L••tus de Sa∣cerdot. cap de Luper.
Plutarch. in Romulo.
Plutarch. in Romulo.
Rosin. an∣tiq. lib. 3. c. 2.
Sueton. in August.