COMPITALIA.
The Feasts institu∣ted by Servius, which were commonly kept in January, the day before the Ides (which is the twelfth day of the month) and in May the sixth day before the Nones (which is the second day according to the old Roman Calendar.) This word Compitalia, comes a compitis, for at such days in all the cross ways both of the Town and Country they offered Sacrifices to the Gods Lares, which were certain Daemons, or Dome∣stick Gods, protectors or keepers of the fami∣lies. Macrobius tells us in his Saturnalia, that they Sacrificed formerly young children to these Lares and Mania their mother, for the conserva∣tion of the whole family. But Brutus, having expelled the Kings out of Rome, interpreted otherwise this Oracle of Apollo, ordering that instead of the heads demanded by the Oracle, they should take Poppy's heads, and in this sense he would have the Oracle to be inter∣preted. And the same Author tells us, that instead of children, that were before immola∣ted to these Gods, they made effigies of men and women with straw, which they did offer in Sacrifice, with some round woollen balls, for so many slaves as there was in the fa∣mily: as Festus reports,
Quibus tot pilae, quot capita servorum; tot effgies, quot essent liberi, po∣nebantur, ut vivis parterent, & essent his pilis & simulacris contenti; they offered them as many Balls as there was Slaves, and as many Effigies as there were free Persons in the Fa∣milies, that they might not hurt the Living, and be contented with these Offerings.
Dionysius Halicarnasseus tells us in his Antiqui∣ties, that this Feast was celebrated after the Sa∣turnalia, viz. at the beginning of January, and that it was proclaimed in these words, Die nono post Kalend. Jan. Quiritibus Compitalia erunt. This Peast was kept by the Slaves, according to the Institution of Servins, in remembrance of his Fortune, that being born a Slave, yet he be∣came King of the Romans. And Tully says, in the 7th Book of his Epistles to Atticus, that he would not go into the House of Albus, lest he should be troublesom to his Slaves, who were about Solemnizing the Compitalia, Ego quoniam Compitalitius dies est, nolo eo die in Albanum venire molestus Familiae.