Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

998 SACRA. SACRIFICITTUM.
prion with the ancients was a thing which was pnblica, is that they were made at the expense of
handed down by tradition froml father to son; and those persons or person on whose behalf they were
consisted in the proper performance of certain rites performed. Respecting the sacra of a gens, called
and ceremonies. It was respecting these extcrnal sacra gentilicia, see GENS, p. 568, b. The sacra
forms of worship alone that the pontiffs were ob- connected with certain families were, like those of
liged to give instructions to those who consu!lted a gells, performed regularly at fixed times, and dethem. [PoNTIrEX.] [L.S.] scended as an inheritance froml father to son. As
SACRA. This word in its widest sense ex- they were always connected with expenses, and
presses what we call divine worship. In ancient were also troublesome in other respects, such an
times the state as well as all its subdivisions had inheritance was reoarded as a burden rather than
their own peculiar forms of worship, whence at anything else. (Macrob. Sat. i. 16.) They may
Rlome we find sacra of the whole Roman people, of generally hlave consisted in sacrifices to the Pethe curies, gentes, families, and even of private in- nates, but also to other divinities. They had
(lividuals. All these sacra, however, were divided ustually been vowed by some member of a family
ilto two great classes, the public and private sacra on some particular occasion, and then continued
(sacra publica el privrata), that is, they were p1er- for ever in that family, the welfare of which was
formed either on behalf of the whole nation and at thought to depend upon their regular and proper
the expense of the state, or on behalf of ixdi- performance. Besides these periodical sacra of a
viduals, families, or gentes, which had also to defray I falnily there were others, the performance of which
their expenses. (Fest. s. v. Plublica saecra; Liv. i. must have depended upon the discretion of the
20, x. 7; Pint. Nuszs. 9; Cic. de HJIusp. Resl,. heads of families, such as those on the birthday, or
7.) This division is ascribed to Nunla. All sacra, on the death of a melmber of a family. Savigny
publica as well as privata, were superintended and (Zeitselrifi, vol. ii. p. 3) denies the existence of
regulated by the pontiffs. We shall first speak of sacra fanniliarum.
the sacra publica. An individual might perform sacra at any time,
Scora Publica. Among the sacra publica the and whenever he thought it necessary; but if he
Romans reckoned not only those which were per- vowed such sacra before the pontiffs and wished
formed on behalf of the whole Roman people, but that they should be continued after his death, his
also those performed on behalf of the great subdivi- heirs inherited with his property the obligation to
sions of the people, viz. the tribes and the curiae, perform them, and the pontiffs had to watch that
which Festus (1. c.) expresses: pr'o mol/anisi p9a.fis, they were performed duly and at their proper time.
c:uriis, sacellis. (See Dionys. ii. 21, 23; Appian, (Fest. s. v. Sawer s onss; Cic. pro Dosm. 51; comp.
Hist. Ros,. viii, 138, dce Bell. Ci. ii. ii. 106;'lt. ad Att. xii. 19, &c.) Such an obligation was in
Quacest. Rom. 89.) The sacen pro montibns et later times evaded in various ways.
pagis are undoubtedly the sacra montanalia anld AmongL the sacra privata were reckoned also the
paganalia, which although not sacra of the whole sacra municipalia, that is, such sacra as a commuRoman people, were yet publica. (\Vanr, (de I,/il. nity or town had been accustomed to perform beLat. vi. 24, &c.; comlp. Fest. s. v.,Sep)tei1),o/lil.) fore it had received the Roman franchise. After
The sacella in the expression of Festus, score-a pro this event, the Roman pontiffs took care that they
sacellis, appear only to indicate the places wxheire were continued in the same manner as befor;.
some sacra publica were performed. (GCrttling, (Fest. s. 7,. Aluenicip/aeli a saoC'a; comp. Amlbrosch,
Gese... d. Ri;E. Staatsv. P. 176.) \ V\hat a s colll- Steed. i. Ass Aldet. p. 215.)
mon to all sacra publlica, is thitt thley velre per- (See Gbttlilng, p. 175, &e.; Walter, Geschl. d.
fbrmed at the expense of ecrtailn lulic filds, riszm. ReBots, p. 178; Hartung, Die Relig. d. B21nm.
which had to provide the limoley for Nvictils, liba- vol. i. p. 226, &c.; comp. SACRIlFIClrrlm.) [L. S.]
tions, incense, and for t]he building alld mainte- SACRAMENTUM. [JusJURANDUAs; VINnance of those places whlere they werec performled. DucIae.E]
(Fest. 1. c.; Dionys. ii. 23; IiV. x. 2;,, xlii.:.) SACRA'RIUM was, according to the definition
The funds set apart for the sacls Ipulblice awere ill of Ilpian (Dig. I. tit. O. s. 9. ~ 2), anly place ill
the keeping of the pon tiffla and the sacranIreultill which sacred things were deposited and kept, wheformed a part of themll. They were kept in the thor this place wals a part of a temple or of a pridomus publica of the pontifcx neaxinuas, and eere r -ate house. (Comp. Cic. c. Vern-. iv. 2, pro iAillou.
called acrarium pontificum. (Varro, s/e Lieq. Let. 31; Suet. Tib. 51.) A sacrarium therefore wsas
v. 180; Gruter, 1isCIep)t. 413. 8, 496. 6, 452. 6.) that part of every house in wvhich the images of the
When these funds did not sunflic, thle state trea- penates were kept. Respecting the sacrarium of
sury supplied the deficiency. (Fest. ss.v.,S'crae- the lares see TlRARIUM. Public sacrariaat Rome
v7etenum.) In the solemnization of the Ficral pub'- were: one attached to the temple of the Capitoline
lica the senate and the whole people took part. Jupiter, in whichll the tensae or chariots for public
(Plnt. itsm.t. 2.) This ciicumnstaunce however is processions were kept (Suet. Vespq. 5; Grat. Falisc
not what constitutes their character as sacra pub- 534); the place of the Salii in which the ancilia
lica, for the sacra populariat (Fest. s. v.'Poe1sL. iand the litulis of Romulus were kept (Val. Max.
saer.) in which the whole people took part, might i. O. 11; Serv. eel A en. vii. 603), and others. In
nevertheless be sacra privata, if the expenses were the time of the emperors, the name sacrariuin was
not defrayed out of the public funds, but by one sometimes applied to a place in whllich a statue of
or more individuals, or by magistrates. The pon- an emperor was erected. (Tacit. Asnal. ii. 41;
tiffs in conducting the sacra publica were assisted Stat. S7ilv. v. 1. 240.) Livy (i. 21) uses it as a
by the epulories. [EPULONES.] name for a sacred retired place in general. [L. S.]
Saera p7rivate embraced, as we have stated, SACRIFI'CIUM (lepesv). Sacrifices or offerthose which were performed on behalf of a gens, a ings formed the chief part of the worship of tlhe
faumily, or an individual. The characteristic by ancients. They were partly signs of gratitude,
which they were distinguished from the sacra partly a means of propitiating the gods, and partly