Floralia April 27

Flora is one of the oldest goddesses in Roman religion and was one of fifteen deities to have her own state-sponsored high priest, the flamen Florialis. Goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility, she received sacrifices (piacula) in the sacred grove of the Arval Brothers, an archaic priesthood. Her altar in Rome is said to have been established by the Sabine king Titus Tatius during the semi-legendary royal period. Flusalis (linguistically equivalent to Floralia) was a month on the Sabine calendar, and Varro counted Flora among the Sabine deities.

The games (ludi) of Flora were presented by the plebeian councilors and paid for by the fines collected during the encroachment on public lands (ager publicus). Cicero mentions his role in organizing games for Flora when he was aedile in 69 BC. In 68 CE, the Floralia entertainments presented under Emperor Galba featured an elephant walking a tightrope.

Prostitutes participated in the Floralia as well as the wine festival (Vinalia) on April 23. According to the satirist Juvenal, prostitutes danced naked and fought in mock gladiatorial combats. Many prostitutes in ancient Rome were slaves, and even free women who worked as prostitutes lost their legal and social status as citizens, but their inclusion in religious festivals indicates that sex workers were not completely excluded from society.