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

d,22 FASTI. FASTI.
denominated fasti dies, i. e. lcwfid days. Varro to prove interesting to his countrymen; the whole
and Festus derive fastus directly fromfisri (Varr. being seasoned with frequent allusions to the
de Ling. Lat. vi. 2; Festus, s. v. Facsti), while glories of the Julian line.
Ovid (Fast. i. 47) may be quoted in support of Several specimens offcasti, more or less perfect,
either etymology. on stone and marble, have been discovered at difThe sacred books in which thefasti dies of the ferent times in different places, none of them, howyear were marked, were themselves denominated ever, older than the age of Augustus. The most
fitsti; the term, however, was employed in an ex- remarkable, though one of the least entire, is that
tended sense to denote registers of various descrip- known as the Kalendarissm Praenestinum or Fasti
tions, and many mistakes have arisen. among com- Verriani. Suetonius, in his short treatise on dismaentators from confounding fasti of different kinds. tinguished grammarians, tells us that a statue of
It will be useful, therefore, to consider separately Verrius Flaccus, preceptor to the grandsons of
the two great divisions, which have been distin- Augustus, stood in the lower part of the forum
guished as Fasti Sacri or acsti Icalendares, and of his native town, Praeneste, opposite to the
Fa-sti Annales or F;asti Historici. Hemicyclism, on which he had exhibited to public
I. FASTI SACRI or KALENDARES. For nearly view the fasti, arranged by himself, and engraved
four centuries and a half after the foundation of on marble slabs. In the year 1770 the remains
the city a knowledge of the calendar was possessed of a circular building were discovered in the imlexclusively by the priests. One of the pontifices mediate vicinity of the modern Palestrina, toregularly proclaimed the appearance of the new gether with several fragments of marble tablets,
moon, and at the samne time announced the period which were soon recognised as forming part of an
which would intervene between the Kalends and ancient calendar; and upon further examination
the Nones. On the Nones the country people no doubt was entertained by the learned that
assembled for the purpose of learning from the Rex these were the very fasti of Verrius described by
Sacrorum. the various festivals to be celebrated Suetonins. An Italian antiquary, named Foggini,
during the month, and the days on which they continued the excavations, collected and arranged
would fall. (Macrob. i. 15.) In like alnner all the scattered morsels with great patience and
who wished to go to law were obliged to inquire of skill; and in this manner the months of January,
the privileged few on what day they might bring March, April, and December, to which a very
their suit, and received the reply as if from the lips small portion of February was afterwards added,
of an astrologer. (Cic. Pro llursen.l 1.) The whole were recovered; and, although much defaced anll
of this lore, so long a source of power and profit, mutilated, form a very curious and useful molnuand therefore jealously enveloped in mystery, was ment. They appear to have embraced much inat length made public by a certain Cn. Flavins, formation concerning the festivals, and a careful
scribe to App. Claudius Caecus (Liv. ix. 46; detail of the honours bestowed upon, and the
Plin. II. N. xxxiii. 1; Gell. vi. 9; Val. Max. ii. triumphs achieved by, Julius, Augustus, and Ti-.
5), who, having gained access to the pontifical berins. The publication of Foggini contains not
books, copied out all the requisite information, and only an account of this particular discovery, but
exhibited it in the forum for the use of the people also the complete fasti of the Roman year, so far
at large. From this time forward such tables be- as such a compilation can be extracted from the
came common, and were known by the nane of ancient calendars now extant. Of these he ennFisti. They usually contained an enumeration of merates eleven, the names being derived either
the months and days of the year; the Nones, Ides, from the places where they were found, or fromn
Nundinae, Dies Fasti, Nefasti, Comitiales, Atri, the family who possessed them when they first be&c. [CALEaNDARIUM], together with the different came known to the literary world:festivals, were marked in their proper places: as- 1. Calendarizmnr lAliqfgiorusmo, which contains the
troenomical observations on the risings and settings twelve months complete.:of the fixed stars, and the commencement of the 2. Cal. Praenestinaa, described above..seasons were frequently inserted, and sometimes 3. Cal. Gapranico-wam, August and September
brief notices annexed regarding the introduction complete.
and signification of certain rites, the dedication of 4. Cal. Ameiterninu7s, fragments of the molth
itemples, glorious victories, and terrible disasters. from May to December.:In later times it became common to pay homage 5. Cal. Antiatiatzn, fragments of the six last
to the members of the imperial family by noting months.
dowvn their exploits and honours in the calendar, a 6. Cal. EsZqiliznum, fragments of May and June.
species of flattery with whlich Antonius is charged 7. Cal. Fcarnesiansm, a few days of February
by Cicero (Philip2p. ii. 34. See also Tacit. Annz. and March.
i. 15). 8. Cal. Piocianusm, fragments of July, August,
It will be seen from the above description that and September.
these fasti closely resembled a modern almanac 9. Cal. Venuzsiazm, s May and June complete.
(Facstorunz laibri cappellacntu totias anni descsiptio. 10. Cal. Vacticanumn, a few days of MIarch and
Festus); and the celebrated work of Ovid may be April.
considered as a poetical Yeal-book or CoGmnpen7ionz 11. Cal. Allifanusn, a few days of July and
to thie Alzmcnac, having been composed to illustrate August.
the Fasti published by Julius Caesar, who re- Some of the above, with others of more recent
modelled the Roman year. All the more remark- date, are given in the Corpus Inscriptionosa of
able epochs are examined in succession, the origin Gruter, in the 1lth vol. of the Thesaurus Roina.
of the different festivals explained, the various Antiqq. of Graevius, and in other works of a simicerenmonies described, the legends connected with lar description; but the fullest information upon
the principal constellations narrated, and many all matters connected with the Fasti Sacri is emtarious discussions interwoven upon subjects likely bodied in the work of Foggini, entitled Fastorumrs