Talk:Flamen Martialis

Aldrasto (talk) 11:52, 13 January 2010 (UTC)There are some errors in the article concerning the function of the Flamen Martialis. The only festival we may say with a certain degree of probability that required his active presence and intervention was the Equus October. The other festivals mentioned here were certainly (see Ovid, Fasti; Gellius Noct. Att.; Tertullian) performed by the Flamen Quirinalis. The confusion stems from the fact that after the identification of Quirinus with Romulus many ideas attributes of Mars were transferred to Quirinus-Romulus, indeed the son of Mars traditionally. The competition among two rival groups concerned the head of the sacrificed horse and the groups were the dwellers of the Via Sacra and those of the Suburra. The first should take the head to the Regia on the Capitol and the last to the Turris Mamilia. The Mamilii were a family from Tusculum who supported the Etruscan Tarquinii (Liv. 1, 49,9). I shall edit the text accorrdinglyAldrasto (talk) 05:15, 9 January 2010 (UTC)

I read the references given. It is possible that there were two Larentalia, one in December and one in March, not April as Plutarch states. It also possible that he confuses Mars with Quirinus, not uncommon for Greeks. The scholar who wrote the quoted passage on the Robigalia should have a look at Ovid IV 905-942Aldrasto (talk) 11:52, 13 January 2010 (UTC)