January 15th | Fastorum Liber Primus: Ianuarius
G • CAR • NP | XVIII Kal. Feb. | I.617-636, Ovid describes the second day of the Carmentalia festival.
Respiciet Titan actas ubi tertius Idus,
fient Parrhasiae sacra relata deae.
Nam prius Ausonias matres carpenta vehebant
(haec quoque ab Euandri dicta parente reor); 620
mox honor eripitur, matronaque destinat omnis
ingratos nulla prole novare viros,
neve daret partus, ictu temeraria caeco
visceribus crescens excutiebat onus.
corripuisse patres ausas immitia nuptas, 625
ius tamen exemptum restituisse ferunt;
binaque nunc pariter Tegeaeae sacra parenti
pro pueris fieri virginibusque iubent.
scortea non illi fas est inferre sacello,
ne violent puros exanimata focos. 630
siquis amas veteres ritus, adsiste precanti:
nomina percipies non tibi nota prius.
Porrima placatur Postvertaque, sive sorores
sive fugae comites, Maenali diva, tuae:
altera, quod porro fuerat, cecinisse putatur, 635
altera, venturum postmodo quicquid erat.
617 When the third sun shall look back on the past Ides, the sacred rites will be repeated in honour of the Parrhasian goddess.1 For of old Ausonian matrons drove in carriages (carpenta), which I ween were also called after Evander’s parent (Carmentis). Afterwards the honour was taken from them, and every matron vowed not to propagate the line of her ungrateful spouse by giving birth to offspring; and lest she should bear children, she rashly by a secret thrust discharged the growing burden from her womb. They say the senate reprimanded the wives for their daring cruelty, but restored the right of which they had been mulcted; and they ordained that now two festivals be held alike in honour of the Tegean mother to promote the birth of boys and girls. It is not lawful to bring leather into her shrine, lest her pure hearths should be defiled by skins of slaughtered beasts. If thou hast any love of ancient rites, attend the prayers offered to her: you shall hear names you never knew before. Porrima and Postverta are placated, whether they be thy sisters, Maenalian goddess,2 or companions of thine exile: the one is thought to have sung of what was long ago (porro), the other of what should come to pass hereafter (venturum postmodo).
See notes on ll. 470, 478.
Carmenta; Maenalus was a mountain in Arcadia.