by Publius Dionysius Mus on Tue Mar 25, 2003 10:18 pm
Salve Tiberi
A birthday is also often used as a day to commemorate a person. Evidence of this is available in many inscriptions throughout the empire. An example:
CIL XI, 6520 / ILS 6647
Dis manibus Cetraniae Publi filiae Severinae sacerdoti divae Marcianae, Titus Baebius Gemellinus augustalis coniugi sanctissimae.
Caput ex testamento Cetraniae Severinae: Collegis dendrophororum fabrum centonariorum municipii Sassinatis sestertium sena milia nummum dari volo, feideique vestrae collegiali committo, uti ex reditu sestertium quaternorum milium nummum omnibus annis pridie idus Iuniarum, die natalis mei, oleum singulis vobis dividatur et ex reditu sestertium binum milium nummum Manes meos colatis. Hoc ut ita faciatis, fidei vestrae committo.
This is an inscription on the grave of Cetrania Severina, together with an excerpt from her will. She gives the colleges of the dendrophori, fabri and centonarii 6000 sesterces. She demands that they will use the revenue on her birthday (pridie idus Iuniarum) to give free oil (to use in the thermae) to the members of those colleges (to be exact, the revenue of 4000 sesterces), and also to honour her Manes (with the revenue of 2000 sesterces). She wants to be remembered forever, and people should think about her every year, on her birthday.
There are many inscriptions like these, with so called 'foundations' to commemorate a person, most often on his/her birthday. These foundations ould also be used to give food and drinks, so sometimes they could maybe have a party (unfortunately the celebrated one is dead then, so he won't be able to enjoy the fun anymore...)
Vale bene
Publius Dionysius Mus
No Spartiate soul left alive to tell
How bravely they fought
By treason they fell
(Ancient Rites - Thermopylae)