Ad Futura: The Ancient Religion of Rome in Modern Life

August 24, 2010

By M. Horatius Picinus

Earlier this month cultores Deorum Romani gathered in Poltava to celebrate the community they have built over the last few years in the Ukraine. Over the course of the first week of August 2010, the celebrations at the Altar of Jupiter Perrunus held an annual sacrificial feast in honor of Jupiter, followed some days later by Pontifex Cn. Cornelius Lentulus' consecrating a new temple to house His presence in their community. Making this a special occasion was the presence of three sacredotes from the international Collegium Pontificum and Collegium Augurum. Pontifex Lentulus arrived from Budapest, Hungary. Augur M. Lucretius Agricola had flown in from Japan. Ti. Claudius Drusus and cultores Deorum from Bulgaria arrived with a contingent of Legionaries. Meanwhile Sacerdos Iovis M. Octavius Corvus hosted the celebrations of Poltava.

The past three years have seen a flowering of the religio Romana as more communities of cultores Deorum have been founded worldwide and link to one another. In the early summer of 2007, the Villa Rustica opened to the public at Eigeltingen, Germany. Cultores Deorum participated in this event by performing the consecration of a new altar for Silvanus. The original altar of Silvanus from this archaeological site is now on display at a nearby museum, while the new altar will continue in use for ceremonies held on behalf of the surrounding community of cultores Deorum and the forests that grace the north face of the Alps. Joining our sacerdos for this altar dedication were officials of the local and national governments of Germany.

Ara Silvani, Eigeltigen, Germany, 2007 This event resulted from cooperation of local cultores of Germany with members of the Societas Via Romana and Nova Roma. It was followed by the re-establishment of the feriae Latinae atop Mont Albano, Italy, in April 2008. Hosted by the Consuls of Nova Roma, members of three Italian organizations of cultores joined in performing the sacred rites on site. Other organizations and individuals were invited to join in celebrating the feriae Latinae in a coordinated effort to encompass the globe. The celebration began outside Rome on Mont Albano with a sacrifice for Jupiter Latiaris. It then moved on to other sites in Germany, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Belgium,

France, England, and Spain, across Canadian provinces and Alaska, from coast to coast across the U.S. It proceeded to Monte Alban in Mexico, and down into Peru, Brazil, and Argentina. It crossed the Pacific from Hawaii to Australia, Viet Nam, Japan, and China. It returned via celebrations by cultores Deorum among the soldiers in Iraq, and other cultores in Israel, Lebanon, and Turkey, moving on to plains of the Ukraine, across the Carpathians Mountains of Romania, and on to Hungary before returning to Rome.

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Pont. Max. M. Horatius (L) and Pont. T. Sabinus (R) Romania, August 2008 The following day, April 21, 2008, the celebrations continued around the world for the 2761st anniversary of the Founding of Rome. Participating in these world-wide celebrations were the Societas Via Romana and The Roman Way, Nova Roma, Pax Deorum of Ohio, the Clarion Temple of Philadelphia, the Temple Religio Romana of California and Oregon, and the Sacred Grove of Egeria at Chapel Hill, N. C. Since that year the annual sacred rites of Jupiter Latiaris have been continued atop Mont Albano, Italy.

Pont. Sabinus conducts the sacrum Herculis, Romania, 2008 That same year saw Pontifex Maximus M. Horatius join with Pontifex T. Julius Sabinus and Pontifex Cn. Lentulus at Baiae Herculane, Romania. This is the location of the oldest and still-functioning Roman bathhouse where visitors from around the world come to partake in its healing waters. Pontifex Sabinus led a sacrificial ceremony for Hercules in thanks for His healing waters. Pontifex Lentulus conducted a thanksgiving to Concordia for the Tenth Anniversary of Nova Roma. Meanwhile Pontifex Maximus Horatius, donning a black toga of mourning, conducted ceremonies to recall home the genius of a U.S. soldier and cultor Deorum who had died in Iraq earlier that year. Attending the sacrificial rites were cultores Deorum from Romania, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Canada, and the United States.

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8/24/2010 4:00:00 AM

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