What were the Secular Games, and what was their primary purpose in ancient Rome?

The Secular Games, also known as Ludi Saeculares, were an ancient Roman religious celebration. Their primary purpose was to mark the conclusion of various eras, called *saecula*, and to usher in the beginning of new ones, involving sacrifices, theatrical performances, and public games.

How did the Romans define a 'saeculum' in the context of the Secular Games?

In the context of the Secular Games, a *saeculum* was defined by the Romans as the longest possible span of human life, typically considered to be either 100 or 110 years. This period was used to commemorate centennial anniversaries, particularly those related to the calculated founding of Rome.

According to Roman mythology, how did the Secular Games originate?

According to Roman mythology, the Secular Games began as the Tarentine Games (*Ludi Tarentini*). The story tells of a Sabine man named Valesius, ancestor of the Valerii, whose children were gravely ill. He was supernaturally instructed to sacrifice on the Campus Martius to Dis Pater and Proserpina, deities of the underworld, after his children were miraculously cured by water from the Tiber heated on an altar to these gods.

What was the initial name of the Secular Games, according to Roman mythology?

According to Roman mythology, the Secular Games were initially known as the Tarentine Games, or *Ludi Tarentini*.

Which deities were initially associated with the Tarentine Games in the mythological origin story?

In the mythological origin story of the Tarentine Games, the sacrifices were directed to Dis Pater and Proserpina, who were the Roman deities of the underworld.

Where was the initial sacrifice site for the Tarentine Games, according to the mythological account?

The initial sacrifice site for the Tarentine Games, as described in the mythological account, was on the Campus Martius, at a specific location also called Tarentum, where Valesius discovered a buried altar to Dis Pater and Proserpina.

How well-documented are the celebrations of the Secular Games during the Roman Republic?

Celebrations of the Secular Games during the Roman Republic are poorly documented. While some ancient Roman antiquarians suggested they dated back to 509 BC, modern scholars generally consider the first clearly attested celebration to be in 249 BC, during the First Punic War, though even the historicity of the Republican Games in 249 BC and the 140s BC is debated.

What were the circumstances surrounding the first well-attested celebration of the Secular Games during the Roman Republic?

The first well-attested celebration of the Secular Games during the Roman Republic occurred in 249 BC, amidst the First Punic War. According to Varro, these games were initiated after a series of portents led to a consultation of the Sibylline Books by the *quindecimviri*, a college of priests.

What was the nature of the sacrifices performed during the Republican Secular Games?

During the Republican Secular Games, sacrifices were offered over three consecutive nights at the Tarentum on the Campus Martius. These sacrifices were specifically made to the underworld deities, Dis Pater and Proserpina.

What was the traditional interval for repeating the Secular Games, according to a vow made during the Republican era?

According to Varro, a vow was made during the Republican era that the Secular Games would be repeated every hundred years.

Why do some modern scholars suggest the Republican Secular Games were held, rather than strictly adhering to a centennial cycle?

Some modern scholars, such as Beard, North, and Price, suggest that the Republican Secular Games of 249 BC and the 140s BC were held primarily due to the immediate pressures of war. They propose that the idea of a regular centennial celebration only solidified with the revival in the 140s BC, rather than being the initial driving force.

What prevented a celebration of the Secular Games in 49 BC?

A celebration of the Secular Games that would have logically occurred in 49 BC was apparently prevented by the ongoing civil wars in Rome at that time.

Who revived the Secular Games in 17 BC, and what justification was provided for the date?

The Secular Games were revived in 17 BC by Rome's first emperor, Augustus. The date was justified by a Sibylline oracle that mandated the Games be celebrated every 110 years, along with a new historical reconstruction that placed an earlier celebration in 456 BC.

What unique invitation was extended to the Roman people before Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC?

Before Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC, heralds circulated throughout the city, inviting the people to 'a spectacle, such as they had never witnessed and never would again,' emphasizing the extraordinary nature of the event.

What purificatory rituals were performed by free citizens before the 17 BC Secular Games?

Before the 17 BC Secular Games, the *quindecimviri* (a college of fifteen men who guarded the Sibylline Books) sat on the Capitol and in the temple of Apollo on the Palatine, distributing torches, sulfur, and asphalt to free citizens. These materials were to be burned as a means of purification, possibly inspired by the purificatory rituals of the Parilia, which celebrated Rome's foundation anniversary.

What types of offerings were made by the Roman people during the pre-ceremonies of the 17 BC Secular Games?

During the pre-ceremonies of the 17 BC Secular Games, offerings of wheat, barley, and beans were made by the Roman people.

How do we know about the ceremonies of Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC?

Information about the ceremonies of Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC is known through a partially survived inscribed record that the Senate decreed should be set up in the Tarentum, a site on the Campus Martius.

Which deities received nocturnal sacrifices during Augustus's Secular Games, and how did this differ from Republican practices?

During Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC, nocturnal sacrifices were made to the Moerae (fates), the Ilythiae (goddesses of childbirth), and Terra Mater (the 'Earth mother'). This differed from Republican practices, which had directed nocturnal sacrifices to the underworld deities Dis Pater and Proserpina.

What was notable about the new deities honored in the nocturnal sacrifices of Augustus's Secular Games?

The new deities honored in the nocturnal sacrifices of Augustus's Secular Games—the Moerae, Ilythiae, and Terra Mater—were notable for being Greek in nomenclature and for not having an established cult within the Roman state, yet they were considered more beneficent honorands than the previous underworld deities.

What new type of sacrifice was introduced during Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC?

Augustus's Secular Games in 17 BC introduced day-time sacrifices to Roman deities, which were performed on the Capitoline and Palatine hills, alternating with the nocturnal sacrifices to Greek deities on the Campus Martius.

What specific role did married women play in the sacrifices of the 17 BC Secular Games?

During the 17 BC Secular Games, certain sacrifices were unusually specified to be performed by married women, highlighting their unique involvement in the rituals.

What type of entertainment consistently followed each sacrifice during the Secular Games?

Each sacrifice performed during the Secular Games was consistently followed by theatrical performances.

What sacrifices were made to the Moerae on May 31st during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the night of May 31st during the 17 BC Secular Games, nine female lambs and nine she-goats were sacrificed to the Moerae on the Campus Martius.

What offerings were made to Jupiter Optimus Maximus on June 1st during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the day of June 1st during the 17 BC Secular Games, two bulls were offered to Jupiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill.

What type of offering was made to the Ilythiae on the night of June 1st during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the night of June 1st during the 17 BC Secular Games, 27 sacrificial cakes, consisting of nine of each of three types, were offered to the Ilythiae on the Campus Martius.

What sacrifices were made to Juno Regina on June 2nd during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the day of June 2nd during the 17 BC Secular Games, two cows were sacrificed to Juno Regina on the Capitoline Hill.

What offering was made to Terra Mater on the night of June 2nd during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the night of June 2nd during the 17 BC Secular Games, a pregnant sow was offered to Terra Mater on the Campus Martius.

What offerings were made to Apollo and Diana on June 3rd during the 17 BC Secular Games?

On the day of June 3rd during the 17 BC Secular Games, 27 sacrificial cakes, consisting of nine of each of three types, were offered to Apollo and Diana on the Palatine Hill.

Who were the key figures involved in performing the sacrifices during Augustus's Secular Games?

The key figures involved in performing the sacrifices during Augustus's Secular Games were Augustus himself and his son-in-law, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, both acting in their capacity as members of the *quindecimviri*. Augustus participated alone in the night-time sacrifices, while Agrippa joined him for the day-time ceremonies.

What significant musical performance concluded the major sacrifices of the 17 BC Secular Games?

After the sacrifices on June 3rd, the major sacrifices of the 17 BC Secular Games concluded with choirs of boys and girls singing the *Carmen Saeculare*, a hymn specially composed for the occasion by the renowned poet Horace.

Where was the *Carmen Saeculare* performed, and which deities did it primarily focus on?

The *Carmen Saeculare* was performed both on the Palatine and then on the Capitoline hills. Its lyrics primarily focused on the Palatine deities, Apollo and Diana, who were closely associated with Emperor Augustus, and notably addressed Greek deities using their Latin names.

What events followed the main sacrifices and theatrical performances during Augustus's Secular Games?

Following the main sacrifices and theatrical performances, the days between June 5th and June 11th were dedicated to Greek and Latin plays, and June 12th featured chariot racing and displays of hunting.

How did the calculation systems for the Secular Games diverge under later emperors?

Under later emperors, the Secular Games continued to be celebrated, but their dates were determined using two different calculation systems: one based on the Augustan 110-year cycle and another initiated by Claudius to commemorate the 800th anniversary of Rome's foundation.

When did Claudius hold the Secular Games, and what was the specific occasion?

Claudius held the Secular Games in AD 47, specifically to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the foundation of Rome.

What humorous observation did Suetonius make about Claudius's Secular Games proclamation?

Suetonius observed that a herald's proclamation for Claudius's Secular Games, which announced a spectacle 'which no one had ever seen or would ever see again,' amused his listeners because some of them had already attended the Games under Augustus, making the claim inaccurate for them.

Which emperors followed the Augustan system for celebrating the Secular Games?

Emperors Domitian in AD 88 and Septimius Severus in AD 204 followed the Augustan system for celebrating the Secular Games, with Domitian's possibly marking 110 years from a planned Augustan celebration in 22 BC, and Severus's marking 220 years from the actual Augustan celebration in 17 BC.

Which emperors followed the Claudian system for celebrating the Secular Games, marking Rome's anniversaries?

Emperors Antoninus Pius in AD 148 and Philip I in AD 248 followed the Claudian system, celebrating the 900-year and 1000-year anniversaries of Rome's foundation, respectively.

What procedural detail was consistently followed by emperors celebrating the Secular Games under the Augustan system?

Emperors Domitian and Septimius Severus, when celebrating the Secular Games under the Augustan system, closely followed the procedure that had been established in 17 BC by Augustus.

What changes were introduced to the rituals and date for the Secular Games celebrated under the Claudian system?

Under the Claudian system, the Secular Games involved rituals at the Temple of Venus and Roma instead of the Tarentum, and the date was likely changed to the Parilia on April 21st, aligning with Rome's foundation day.

What additional significance did Antoninus Pius's Secular Games in AD 148 hold?

Antoninus Pius's Secular Games in AD 148 held additional significance as they aligned with his *decennalia*, which was the celebration of the first ten years of his own rule.

When and why were the Secular Games ultimately abandoned?

The Secular Games were ultimately abandoned by AD 314. By this time, Constantine I, a Christian emperor, was in power, and no Secular Games were held, marking the end of this traditional Roman religious celebration.

How did the pagan historian Zosimus interpret the abandonment of the Secular Games?

The pagan historian Zosimus, writing around 498–518 AD, attributed the decline of the Roman Empire to the neglect of the traditional ritual of the Secular Games, viewing their abandonment as a critical factor in Rome's downfall.

Secular Games Wiki: Echoes of Eternity: Unveiling Rome's Secular Games

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Overview

Marking the Saeculum

The Secular Games, or Ludi Saeculares, constituted an ancient Roman religious festival of immense significance, spanning three days and nights. These celebrations were orchestrated to commemorate the conclusion of various historical epochs, known as saecula, and to herald the dawn of new ones. The Roman understanding of a saeculum represented the maximum conceivable span of human life, typically defined as either 100 or 110 years. Consequently, these games frequently marked centennial anniversaries, particularly those calculated from the legendary founding of Rome itself.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Ritual and Spectacle

These elaborate festivities were characterized by a rich tapestry of religious and public events. Central to the observances were solemn sacrifices offered to various deities, often shifting in focus depending on the era and imperial decree. Beyond the sacred rites, the Games incorporated vibrant theatrical performances and diverse public games, known as ludi. These elements combined to create a comprehensive civic and spiritual experience, designed to purify the populace, appease the gods, and renew the state for the coming age.^[1]^[6]

Origins

The Myth of Valesius

According to Roman mythology, as recounted by Zosimus, the genesis of the Secular Games can be traced back to a Sabine man named Valesius, an ancestor of the distinguished Valerii family.^[8]^[9] When his children fell gravely ill, Valesius fervently implored his household gods for their recovery, offering his own life in exchange. A divine voice then instructed him to transport his children to a place called Tarentum and administer water from the Tiber River, heated upon an altar dedicated to Dis Pater and Proserpina, the chthonic deities of the underworld.^[10]

The Tarentine Revelation

Initially misinterpreting the instruction, Valesius embarked on a journey towards the Greek colony of Tarentum in southern Italy. However, while sailing along the Tiber, the divine voice intervened again, directing him to halt at a specific location on the Campus Martius, which coincidentally also bore the name Tarentum. Upon heating the river water and giving it to his children, they experienced a miraculous recovery and fell into a deep slumber. Upon awakening, they revealed to Valesius a dream in which a figure had appeared, commanding the family to offer sacrifices to Dis Pater and Proserpina. Following this revelation, Valesius unearthed a buried altar to these very deities at the site and duly performed the prescribed rituals, thus initiating what became known as the Tarentine Games, the precursor to the Secular Games.^[11]^[12]

Republican Era

Scant Records

Documentation regarding the celebration of the Secular Games during the Roman Republic is notably sparse. While some Roman antiquarians posited their existence as early as 509 BC, modern scholarship generally considers the first clearly attested celebration to have occurred in 249 BC, amidst the tumultuous First Punic War.^[13]^[14] Another recorded instance took place in the 140s BC, during the Third Punic War.^[15]

The historicity of these early Republican Secular Games, particularly those of 249 BC and the 140s BC, remains a subject of scholarly debate.^[16] According to Varro, a 1st-century BC antiquarian, the Games were instituted following a series of ominous portents that necessitated a consultation of the Sibylline Books by the quindecimviri, a college of priests. These sacred texts mandated sacrifices at the Tarentum on the Campus Martius over three consecutive nights, dedicated to Dis Pater and Proserpina.^[17]

Varro also noted a vow to repeat the Games every hundred years, which would align with the later celebration in the 140s BC.^[18] However, some historians propose that both the 249 BC and 140s BC Games were primarily responses to immediate wartime pressures, and that the concept of a regular centennial celebration only solidified with the revival in the 140s BC.^[19] This centennial sequence would have logically led to a celebration in 49 BC, but the prevailing civil wars of that period seemingly prevented its occurrence.

Augustan Revival

A New Era

The Secular Games experienced a grand revival in 17 BC under Rome's first emperor, Augustus. This date was meticulously justified by a Sibylline oracle that prescribed the Games' celebration every 110 years, alongside a revised historical reconstruction of the Republican Games, placing their initial observance in 456 BC.^[20]

Prior to the Games, heralds traversed the city, inviting citizens to an unparalleled spectacle, one they had "never witnessed and never would again."^[12] The quindecimviri, including Augustus, distributed torches, sulphur, and asphalt to free citizens from the Capitol and the Temple of Apollo on the Palatine, to be burned as a ritual of purification. This practice may have drawn inspiration from the purificatory rites of the Parilia, which commemorated Rome's foundation. Offerings of wheat, barley, and beans were also made.^[12]^[21]

Ceremonial Shifts

The Senate decreed that an inscribed record of these Games be erected at the Tarentum on the Campus Martius.^[22] This partially preserved inscription provides invaluable details about the ceremonies.^[23]^[24] Notably, the nocturnal sacrifices were redirected from the underworld deities Dis Pater and Proserpina to the Moerae (Fates), the Ilythiae (goddesses of childbirth), and Terra Mater ("Mother Earth"). These new honorands were considered "more beneficent" and shared the characteristics of having Greek names but lacking established cults within the Roman state.^[25] The nocturnal sacrifices to Greek deities on the Campus Martius were interspersed with daytime sacrifices to traditional Roman deities on the Capitoline and Palatine hills. Unusually, certain sacrifices were specifically designated to be performed by married women.^[5]

Horace's Carmen Saeculare

Augustus and his son-in-law Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa played pivotal roles as members of the quindecimviri. Augustus participated alone in the night-time sacrifices, while Agrippa joined him for the daytime offerings. Following the sacrifices on June 3, choirs of boys and girls performed the Carmen Saeculare, a hymn specially composed for the occasion by the renowned poet Horace.^[26] This hymn was sung on both the Palatine and Capitoline hills, with its verses primarily focusing on the Palatine deities Apollo and Diana, who held particular significance for Augustus. The hymn further complicated the Greek-Roman deity alternation by addressing the Greek deities using their Latin names.^[25] Each sacrifice was succeeded by theatrical performances, and the days between June 5 and June 11 were dedicated to Greek and Latin plays, culminating in chariot racing and hunting displays on June 12.^[24]

The following table outlines the key sacrifices and their associated details during the Augustan Secular Games of 17 BC:

Date	Time	Location	Deities	Sacrifices
May 31	Night	Campus Martius	Moerae	9 female lambs, 9 she-goats
June 1	Day	Capitoline Hill	Jupiter Optimus Maximus	2 bulls
June 1	Night	Campus Martius	Ilythiae (Εἰλείθυια)	27 sacrificial cakes (9 of each of three types)
June 2	Day	Capitoline Hill	Juno Regina	2 cows
June 2	Night	Campus Martius	Terra Mater	Pregnant sow
June 3	Day	Palatine Hill	Apollo and Diana	27 sacrificial cakes (9 of each of three types)

Imperial Continuations

Shifting Cycles

The Secular Games persisted under subsequent emperors, though their dating became subject to two distinct systems of calculation. Emperor Claudius, for instance, celebrated the Games in AD 47, commemorating the 800th anniversary of Rome's foundation.^[18]^[7] This particular celebration famously amused his contemporaries, as some attendees had also witnessed the Games under Augustus, despite a herald's proclamation that this spectacle was "which no one had ever seen or would ever see again."^[28]

Dual Observances

Following Claudius, emperors continued to observe the Games according to both the Augustan and Claudian systems. Domitian held his Games in AD 88,^[18]^[29] potentially 110 years after a planned Augustan celebration in 22 BC.^[30] Septimius Severus followed suit in AD 204, marking 220 years from the actual Augustan celebration.^[12]^[18] On both these occasions, the ceremonial procedures established in 17 BC were meticulously adhered to.^[31]

Decline and Abandonment

Antoninus Pius, on August 21, 148 AD, and Philip I in 248 AD, followed Claudius's precedent by celebrating the 900- and 1000-year anniversaries of Rome's foundation, respectively.^[32] These celebrations involved rituals at the Temple of Venus and Roma, rather than the Tarentum, and the date was likely shifted to the Parilia on April 21.^[31] In the case of Antoninus Pius, these games coincided with his decennalia, marking the first decade of his reign.^[32] However, by 314 AD, 110 years after the Games of Septimius Severus, the Christian emperor Constantine I was on the throne, and no Secular Games were held. The pagan historian Zosimus, writing in the late 5th to early 6th century, attributed the subsequent decline of the Roman Empire to this neglect of the traditional ritual.^[12]

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References

Valerius Maximus 2.4.5.

Zosimus 2.

Censorinus 17.10.

Varro in Censorinus 17.8.

Censorinus 17.11.

A full list of references for this article are available at the Secular Games Wikipedia page

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Echoes of Eternity: Unveiling Rome's Secular Games

💡 Dive in with Flashcard Learning! 💡

Overview 📜

⏳ Marking the Saeculum

🎭 Ritual and Spectacle

Origins ✨

🌿 The Myth of Valesius

🌊 The Tarentine Revelation

Republican Era 🏛️

🔍 Scant Records

Augustan Revival 👑

🌟 A New Era

🏛️ Ceremonial Shifts

🎶 Horace's Carmen Saeculare

Imperial Continuations 🏛️

🔄 Shifting Cycles

📅 Dual Observances

✝️ Decline and Abandonment

Teacher's Corner 🧑‍🏫

Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio

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References

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Disclaimer ⚠️

📜 Important Notice

Dive in with Flashcard Learning!

Overview

Marking the Saeculum

Ritual and Spectacle

Origins

The Myth of Valesius

The Tarentine Revelation

Republican Era

Scant Records

Augustan Revival

A New Era

Ceremonial Shifts

Horace's Carmen Saeculare

Imperial Continuations

Shifting Cycles

Dual Observances

Decline and Abandonment

Teacher's Corner

True or False?

Test Your Knowledge!

Gamer's Corner

Discover other topics to study!

References

Feedback & Support

Disclaimer

Important Notice