February 1st | Fastorum Liber Secundus: Februarius
H • K • FEB • N | Kalendis Februarius | II.55-72, Ovid describes the dedications to Juno Sospita.
Principio mensis Phrygiae contermina Matri 55
Sospita delubris dicitur aucta novis.
nunc ubi sunt, illis quae sunt sacrata Kalendis
templa deae? longa procubuere die.
cetera ne simili caderent labefacta ruina,
cavit sacrati provida cura ducis, 60
sub quo delubris sentitur nulla senectus;
nec satis est homines, obligat ille deos.
templorum positor, templorum sancte repostor,
sit superis, opto, mutua cura tui!
dent tibi caelestes, quos tu caelestibus, annos, 65
proque tua maneant in statione domo!
tum quoque vicini lucus celebratur Alerni,1
qua petit aequoreas advena Thybris aquas.
ad penetrale Numae Capitolinumque Tonantem
inque Iovis summa caeditur arce bidens. 70
saepe graves pluvias adopertus nubibus aether
concitat, aut posita sub nive terra latet.
55 At the beginning of the month Saviour (Sospita) Juno, the neighbour of the Phrygian Mother Goddess, is said to have been honoured with new shrines. If you ask, where are now the temples which on those Kalends were dedicated to the goddess? tumbled down they are with the long lapse of time. All the rest had in like sort gone to wrack and ruin, had it not been for the far-seeing care of our sacred chief, under whom the shrines feel not the touch of eld; and not content with doing favours to mankind he does them to the gods. Ο saintly soul, who dost build and rebuild the temples, I pray the powers above may take such care of thee as thou of them! May the celestials grant thee the length of years which thou bestowest on them, and may they stand on guard before thy house!
67 Then, too, the grove of Alernus2 is thronged with worshippers, fast by the spot where Tiber, coming from afar, makes for the ocean waves. At Numa’s sanctuary,3 at the Thunderer’s fane upon the Capitol, and on the summit of Jove’s citadel a sheep is slain. Often, muffled in clouds, the sky discharges heavy rains, or under fallen snow the earth is hid.
Alerni Alton: averni AX2m2: asyli Um1: asili X1.
Near the mouth of the Tiber.
The temple of Vesta.