Agonalia
agonalia agonia obscure archaic religious observance celebrated ancient rome several time year honor various divinity institution like religious rite ceremony attributed numa pompilius semilegendary second king rome ancient calendar indicate celebrated regularly january may december festival called agonia agonium martiale honor mar celebrated march day liberalia prolonged war festival marked beginning season military campaigning agriculture offering ram aries usual victim sacrificed guardian god state presiding priest rex sacrificulus site regia could employed ceremony connected highest god affected wellbeing whole state purpose festival disputed even among ancient etymology name also subject much dispute among ancient various etymology proposed given length ovid none however satisfactory one possibility sacrifice earliest form offered quirinal hill originally called agonus colline gate agonensis sacrifice explicitly located regia domus regis house king historical period top via sacrum near arch titus though one ancient source state earliest time regia quirinal circus agonensis called supposed occupied place present piazza navona built emperor alexander severus spot victim sacrificed agonalia may however circus humphrey omits site work roman circus agonium occurs january fasti praenestini albeit mutilated form ovid poem roman calendar call dy agonalis agonal day elsewhere agonalia offer number etymology varied plausibility festus explains word agonia archaic latin term hostia sacrificial victim augustine hippo thought roman god named agonius might god colline part city see etymology third occurrence agonia agonalia share date december septimontium septimontiale sacrum late roman calendar take note depends textual conjecture relation two observance exists unknown fragmentary inscription found ostia read agonind testifies festival dedicated sol indiges indeed second festival celebrating deity august agonia mar occurs period festival march latin martius namesake month mar chariot race equirria february feria kalends march day sacred also mother juno second equirria march agonalia march tubilustrium march note holiday varro indicates agonia recondite significance liberalia held day varro source book salian priest surnamed agonenses call agonia instead according masurius sabinus liberalia called agonium martiale pontiff modern scholar inclined think sharing date coincidence two festival unrelated article incorporates text publication public domain smith william ed agonalia dictionary greek roman antiquity london john murray article incorporates text publication public domain chamber ephraim ed agonalia cyclopædia universal dictionary art science st ed james john knapton et al