Lucaria
ancient roman religion lucaria festival grove latin lucus held july original meaning ritual obscure time varro midst century bc omits list festival deity celebrated unknown ritual groveclearing recorded cato pertains festival invocation deliberately anonymous si deus si dea date lucaria recorded fasti amiterni calendar dating reign tiberius found amiternum vittorino sabine territory augustan grammarian verrius flaccus connected lucaria disastrous defeat roman gaul battle allia fought july festival say celebrated large grove via salaria tiber river roman survived battle hidden via salaria crossed battlefield mile north rome lucus thus would located pincian hill later cultivated garden leisure park lucullus pompeius sallust others explanatory story compared poplifugia also involved gallic sack rome story may aetiological historical lucaria suggests grove veneration practice early roman common gaul like fixed holiday dy nefasti publici roman calendar lucaria took place day uneven number intervening day nonfestive mention macrobius seems imply festival began night continued following day georg wissowa thought may connected neptunalia july leafy hut called umbra built shelter protect hot summer sun bull sacrificed neptune embodied fresh well salt water among roman collocation festival july including also furrinalia may express concern drought lucus