Equiria ( lat. Equirria, Ecurria from lat. Equus - horse, equicurria - chariot race ) - ancient Roman military-religious festivals, horse-drawn christian festivities, founded, according to legend, by Romulus . Held in honor of the god of war Mars .
This holiday was held on the Field of Mars in Rome on February 27 and March 14 . The setting of these dates in early spring is explained by the archaic way of waging wars in those days. Military campaigns took place, as a rule, in the warm season. Related holidays were the Tubilustra, Armilustria and the October Horse festival at the end of the war season.
Equires were also arranged during the change of year (in the Roman calendar on March 1 ). Then there was a symbolic expulsion of the goat from the city. Along with the ritual cleansing of horses, one of the reasons for the celebration was also a celebration of the memory of the dead, which is known from the Homeric Iliad .
Equiria is one of two Roman national holidays (the other is Regifugius , February 24 ), celebrated on an even day, while all public holidays coincided with odd numbers of the month (in a direct counting order) due to the prevailing belief in the beneficial influence of an odd number [1] .
Notes
- ↑ Obnorsky N.P. Feriae // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.