of Larentalia took place on December 23 but was ordered to be observed twice a year by Augustus; by some supposed to be in honor of the Lares, a sort of domestic genii, or divinities, worshiped in houses, and esteemed the guardians and protectors of families, supposed to reside in the corners of chimneys. Others have attributed this festival in honor of Acca Larentia, the nurse of Romulus and Remus, and wife of Faustulus.
Larentalia, in honor of the twins' nurse
During this festival, offerings were made to the dead, usually on altars dedicated to Acca Larentia. A sacrifice was usually offered at the place where Acca Larentia was said to have disappeared. Larentalia was one of a series of ancient Roman holidays and festivals celebrating the end of the old year and the beginning of the new.
Tradition has it that Larentia was a beautiful girl of notorious reputation, about the same age as Romulus and Remus, during the reign of Ancus Marcius in the 7th century BCE. It was awarded to Hercules as a prize in a game of dice by the guardian of his temple, and locked in with his other prize, a feast. When the god no longer needed her, he advised her to marry the first man she met while going out that morning, who turned out to be a rich Etruscan named Carutius (or Tarruce, according to Plutarch).
Larentia later inherited all his property and bequeathed it to the Roman people. Plutarch explicitly states that this Larentia was a different person from the Larentia who was married to Faustulus, although other writers, such as Licinius Macer, tell their stories as belonging to the same individual.
Whatever one may think of the conflicting accounts of Acca Larentia, it seems clear that she was of Etruscan origin, therefore perhaps linked to the cult of the Lares. It is entirely possible that his name was derived from Lares. This relationship is also manifested in the number of his sons, which corresponds to that of the twelve Lares of the country. Wiseman explores the connections between Acca Larentia, Lara and Larunda in several of his books. Acca Larentia was also associated with another Roman goddess named Dea Dia.
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On this day, the Romans celebrated the Larentalia in honor of the wet-mother of Romulus and Remus Acca Larentia. Linked to the Etruscans and the cult of the Lares, its festivals continued with the advent of Rome as a great power in Europe. #mythology #myth #legend #23December #lares #rome #larentalia #accalarentia
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