Salvete comreligiones
At the Academia Thules http://www.academiathules.org/ I shall be offering
a course on the Rituals of the Religio Romana. An outline of the course is provided below. Classes begin 18 Oct. and last for seven to eight weeks. Those interested in the course may enroll now at http://www.academiathules.org/indexcour.html
While the Academia Thules is associated with another organization, you do not have to be a member of that other place to attended classes at the Academia. Where the enrollment form asks for your name you are to use your SVR nomen.
Course outline
Introduction
I. Purification
II. Daily rituals
III. Structure of a rite
Praefatio
Pompa
Sacrificatio
Praecatio
Oblatio
Probatio
Immolatio
Exta caesa
Scrutatio
Porrecta
Litatio
Perlitatio
IV. Ministeri sacrificii
Praesidius, praetor, magister
Promptor and pontifices
Praeco
Minister sacrificii, popae, and victimii
Haruspex
Camilli
V. Gesture in Prayer
VI. Oblationes
Oblationes and the Numa tradition
Obstitium and oblati
Performing oblationes
Immolationes
VII. After course discussion
Exercises
I. Intoning and adsortes Virgilianae
II. Orienting land
III. Building an altar and molucrum
IV. Offering sacrifices, baking libum
V. Chant and Dance
VI. Performing a parentatio
VII. House cleansing
VIII. Performing a lavatoria
Reading assignments
I. Cicero De Natura Deorum II.71-72; De Legibus II.8.19-22; II.10.24-25. Write a brief comparison of the rites described as religiosum in Livy 5.22.4-5 and Ovid Fasti 4.314-15; 5.670; 6.450 to the superstitious rite in Persuis Satires II 15-6 and the foreign rite in Juvenal Satires 6.522.
II. Selection of prayers. Each day a different author, selecting out those prayers to a particular deity or subject.
III. Read Virgil Eclogues 8.62-109 and Ovid Fasti 2.639-78 with reference to the exercise. Read Ovid Fasti 4.641-72; 4.731-82 and Statius Silvae 3.1.23-28; 3.2.154-58. Post a brief comparison on Numa’s rites in Ovid to what is asked of Hercules in Statius.
IV. Compare the rite to the Manes at Lemuria in Ovid Fasti 5.419-44 to the rite described in either Valerius Flaccus Argonautica 3.411-58 or Statius Thebaid 4.443-89.
V. Read Cato De Agricultura 141 and Tacitus Histories 4.53; or read Plutarch Life of Aemilius Paulus 32-4 and Ovid Fasti 2.639-78. Compare the pompa of a public rite to that of a private rite.
VI. Read Ovid Fasti 2.533-582. Compare Ovid Fasti 2.571-82 with Propertius 4.6.1-9
Valete optime