Paganism

Despite lockdowns, Rome celebrates its 2774th birthday

Manny Moreno By |

ROME – Last Thursday, the “eternal city” of Rome celebrated its founding 2,774 years ago. According to legend, the city was founded by Romulus, the first king of Rome, who was the son of the god Mars and a princess of the central Italian kingdom of Alba Longa, Rhea Silvia. Through his mother’s line, Romulus traced his ancestry back to the Trojan hero Aeneas, hero of Virgil’s Aeneid, and Latinus, the mythical founder of the kingdom of Latium, from which the name of the Latin language is derived.

Rome was founded when Romulus killed his twin brother Remus, both of whom were famously raised by a she-wolf after their mother was condemned to perpetual virginity as a Vestal servant by their usurper uncle, Amulius.

April 21 is called Natale di Roma, known in Latin as Dies Romana or Romaia. The day may not match the actual founding of the city, but is the first day of Parilia, the festival in honor of Pales, the protector of flocks and herds. Pales is male in some sources and female in others, and may be divine twins; the god can be described in Latin as either singular or plural. The Parilia festival was a purification rite: cattle were driven through the city, offerings were made, and celebrants purified themselves by jumping over bonfires three times.

The Lupa Capitolina, the she-wolf nursing Romulus and Remus; Etruscan, bronze, likely 11th – 12th century CE [public domain]

The legends say Romulus began building on April 21, 753 BCE. Another ritual that was performed involved digging trenches in remembrance of the founding. The ritual, called the tracciato del solco, is still performed as part of historical re-enactments at the Circus Maximus.

After Romulus, six more kings would rule Rome, and the last three may have been Etruscans. Then in 509 BCE, the Roman Republic was established. The Roman Empire was founded in 31 BCE when Augustus Caesar proclaimed himself the first emperor.

Historians and archeologists dispute every element of the founding legend, which is based in myth rather than historical fact. The location that would become Rome was likely settled even earlier than the legendary founding date, around 800 BCE, with human occupation of the area dating back 14,000 years.

The fictional story certainly had more sway over the ancients, and as Rome grew into an ancient powerhouse and metropolis, Roman emperors continued to celebrate the city’s founding on April 21st. Julius Caesar introduced games as part of the celebrations and Caligula added a parade of the city’s honored citizens as part of the festivities.

This year, the pandemic and its attendant stay-at-home orders again dampened many of the in-person activities. But there were still festivities. The cultural organization Gruppo Storico Romano held its annual celebration, lighting the sacred flames of the Dies Natalis and proclaiming the glory of Rome.

The Traditional Pietas Association, led by Pontifex Maximus Giuseppe Barbera, held a socially distanced vigil in Piazza del Popolo under the statue of Dea Roma.

“Best Wishes and Happy Birthday to the City!” [via Facebook]

The Superintendency of Rome, the archeological office that oversees all of Rome’s archeological sites and activities, unveiled a relief of Rhea and her sons re-mastered to its original colors and vibrancy.

The superintendency also announced a series of light shows around the city center to accompany the birthday celebrations, including the reopening of Largo di Torre Argentina, the site of four temples to the goddesses Juturna, Fortuna, and Feronia, and to the Lares Permarini, the guardian deities that protected sailors. Largo di Torre Argentina is also the site where Julius Caesar was assassinated.

Mayor Virginia Raggi celebrated Rome’s birthday by visiting the Victor Emmanuel II National Monument next  to the ancient Roman forum.  “Let’s kick off the celebrations for the 2774th birthday of Rome!” she said. “This morning at the Altare della Patria in Piazza Venezia I placed a laurel wreath to celebrate our city. Happy birthday Rome!”

 

Of all the festivities, however, it was the ancient architectural marvel, the Pantheon, that stole the show. The Pantheon, a name from Greek meaning “of or relating to, or common to, all the gods,” is one of the best preserved and most influential buildings from ancient Rome. The building was originally commissioned by Marcus Agrippa during the reign of Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) on the site of an earlier temple. It was rebuilt by Emperor Hadrian and dedicated in 126 CE.

The Italian Ministry of Culture celebrated Rome’s birthday by releasing a new version of a video shot last year within the Pantheon, while Italy was in full lockdown. The video, called “Natale di Roma – Uncut,” is unmodified time-lapse photography of the path of the sun shining through the Pantheon’s oculus.

Every April 21, sunlight shines through the oculus and slowly moves along the walls, until it perfectly illuminates the massive portico doors that guard the entry to the Pantheon at noon.

As the Ministry notes, “at that exact time, the Emperor crossed the threshold of the temple so that he was bathed in light of the sun.”

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