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[German version] Deity whose worship was evidently limited to the rural areas of the Sabine lands, primarily along the via Salaria (Hor. Epist. 1,10,49; ILS 3484-3486; 9248; Sabini). According to Varro, V. corresponds to the Roman Victoria [1] (Varro, Antiquitates rerum divinarum fr. 1 Cardauns); this makes probable the identification of a cult centre of V. at Aquae [I] Cutiliae, which is also known for its healing powers, but which can not be identified with the Nemora Vacunae mentioned in Plinius (Dion. Hal. Ant. Rom. 1,15; Plin. HN 3,109; [1. 83-93]). The ancient etym…

[German version] (also Vediovis or Vedius). Roman god, whose cult is supposed to have been founded in Rome by T. Tatius (Varro Ling. 5,74). No later than the middle of the 1st cent. BC there was a lack of clarity about his function and character (Cic. Nat. 3,62): from the prefix ve- V. was either understood as a young/small Jupiter (Ov. Fast. 3,445-449; Paul. Fest. 519,22) or as his counterpart (Gell. 5,12,8-12), and this is one of the reasons for the modern interpretation of V. as a chthonic deity (Chthonic deities) [1; 2]. In the Fasti Venusini an agonium ('sacrifice') is listed for V. on…

[German version] In the context of Roman divination, the prodigium was the second important category of signs along with the auspicia ( augures ). (Natural) events perceived as extraordinary were considered to be prodigia (or also portenta, ostenta); they were unprovoked signs that were not linked with the actions of magistrates from the point of view of time. The prodigium could concern individuals but during the Republic it was mainly referred to the community through Senate recognition ( prodigium publicum, 'state prodigium'). A prodigium had negative import - the word rare…

[German version] Roman god, probably considered the originator of a cattle epidemic called verminatio (Plin. HN 28,180; 30,144). A single inscription represents the only evidence (CIL I2 804 = ILLRP 281); it records the dedication of an altar to V. by the duumvir A. Postumius [I 10] Albinus. This act can be dated to 175-173 BC, when epidemics were construed as portents ( Prodigium ), requiring sacrifices of cattle, and of people (Liv. 41,21,5 and 10; Obseq. 10). Distelrath, Götz (Constance) Bibliography E. Buchner, s. v. V., RE 8 A, 1552 f. L. Chioffi, s. v. V., ara, LTUR 5, 123 f. Radke…

[German version] Roman festival of Saturnus on December 17. In the Republican Fasti Antiates maiores, the day of the Saturnalia was qualified as EN, whereas in the Augustan Fasti Amiterni it was marked NP and was therefore designated as feriae (‘holidays’; Fasti). It seems plausible to see this change in the context of Caesar's calendar reform as an acknowledgement of the significance of the festival, which had been rising from the end of the 3rd cent. BC onwards (Calendar B.4.). Concerning the duration of the Satu…