April 1st | Fastorum Liber Quartus: Aprilis
C • K • APRIL • F | Kalends Aprilis | IV.133-164, Ovid describes the rites associated with Fortuna Virilis.
Rite deam colitis, Latiae matresque nurusque
et vos, quis vittae longaque vestis abest.
aurea marmoreo redimicula demite collo, 135
demite divitias: tota lavanda dea est.
aurea siccato redimicula reddite collo:
nunc alii flores, nunc nova danda rosa est.
vos quoque sub viridi myrto iubet ipsa lavari:
causaque, cur iubeat (discite!), certa subest. 140
litore siccabat rorantes nuda capillos:
viderunt satyri, turba proterva, deam.
sensit et opposita texit sua corpora myrto:
tuta fuit facto vosque referre iubet.
discite nunc, quare Fortunae tura Virili 145
detis eo, calida qui locus umet aqua.
accipit ille locus posito velamine cunctas
et vitium nudi corporis omne videt;
ut tegat hoc celetque viros, Fortuna Virilis
praestat et hoc parvo ture rogata facit. 150
nec pigeat tritum niveo cum lacte papaver
sumere et expressis mella liquata favis;
cum primum cupido Venus est deducta marito,
hoc bibit: ex illo tempore nupta fuit.
supplicibus verbis illam placate: sub illa 155
et forma et mores et bona fama manet.
Roma pudicitia proavorum tempore lapsa est:
Cumaeam, veteres, consuluistis anum.
templa iubet fieri Veneri, quibus ordine factis
inde Venus verso nomina corde tenet. 160
semper ad Aeneadas placido, pulcherrima, voltu
respice, totque tuas, diva, tuere nurus.
dum loquor, elatae metuendus acumine caudae
Scorpios in viridis praecipitatur aquas.
133 Duly do ye worship the goddess, ye Latin mothers and brides, and ye, too, who wear not the fillets and long robe.1 Take off the golden necklaces from the marble neck of the goddess2; take off her gauds; the goddess must be washed from top to toe. Then dry her neck and restore to it her golden necklaces; now give her other flowers, now give her the fresh-blown rose. Ye, too, she herself bids bathe under the green myrtle, and there is a certain reason for her command; learn what it is. Naked, she was drying on the shore her oozy locks, when the satyrs, a wanton crew, espied the goddess. She perceived it, and screened her body by myrtle interposed: that done, she was safe, and she bids you do the same. Learn now why ye give incense to Virile Fortune in the place which reeks of warm water. All women strip when they enter that place, and every blemish on the naked body is plain to see; Virile Fortune undertakes to conceal the blemish and to hide it from the men, and this she does for the consideration of a little incense. Nor grudge to take poppy pounded with snowy milk and liquid honey squeezed from the comb; when Venus was first escorted to her eager spouse, she drank that draught: from that time she was a bride. Propitiate her with supplications; beauty and virtue and good fame are in her keeping. In the time of our forefathers Rome had fallen from a state of chastity, and the ancients consulted the old woman of Cumae.3 She ordered a temple to be built to Venus, and when that was duly done, Venus took the name of Changer of the Heart (Verticordia) from the event. Fairest of goddesses, ever behold the sons of Aeneas with look benign, and guard thine offspring’s numerous wives.
163 While I speak, the Scorpion, the tip of whose swinged tail strikes fear, plunges into the green waters.4
M, the editor of Ovid Daily, has also written a translation of Liber IV.
Courtesans, who were forbidden to wear the garb of matrons.
Venus, to whom the month of April belonged. Her statue was washed. On April 1, women of the lower sort bathed in the men’s public baths, and worshipped Fortuna Virilis.
The Sibyl.
Real setting April 26. Apparent setting May 13.