Feriale Sodalitatis Militarium
(Calendar of Holidays of Sodalitas Militarium)
Having received order from Praefectus Castrorum M. M. Audens of the Sodalitas Militarium to propose the calendar of religious festivals to be observed by the Sodalitas Militarium, I hereby present the proposal.
The requirement to have only 4 holidays besides the Feria Martis Invicti (Holiday of Mars Invictus) on May 14th, forces many holidays with military significance to remain unobserved. Nevertheless this is an acceptable tradeoff, as it allows the Sodalitas Militarium to concentrate on the chosen holidays, bringing the opportunity to celebrate them in public events.
I have used as a reference the surviving calendar found at Dura Europos[1]. This papyrus is called the Feriale Duranum[2] and records the religious observances of the Cohors XX Palmyrenorum. Unfortunately the celebrations for October, November and December are unreadable. While reconciling with the Republic calendar and the limitations of evenly distribution ordered by Praefectus Castrorum Audens, whenever possible I have tried to use festivals referred in the Feriale Duranum. For your information, those festivals that I have selected and are present in the Feriale Duranum are identified with ‘FD’.
In the first day of the year, sacrifices are offered pro salute rei publicae (for the health of the Republic) to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus (Iuppiter Best and Greatest), Iuno, Minerva and Salus (Health) in order to solve the vows made one year before (the Feriale Duranum says that vows were made to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus, Iuppiter Victor (Iuppiter the Victorious), Iuno Regina (Queen Iuno), Iuno Sospita (Iuno the Preserver), Victoria (Victory) and Minerva). Vows of sacrifices are renewed to be solved in the following year with the condition that the gods shall be propitious during the present year[3].
This is maybe the most important military holiday, and it celebrates the birth of Mars (his mother is Iuno, who in this day is invoked as Iuno Lucina - Iuno of the Light - because she brought Mars to light). Sacrifice is offered to Mars, invoked as Mars Pater Victor (Mars Father the Victorious) in the Feriale Duranum.
This is our already proclaimed holiday in honour of Mars Invictus (Mars the Invincible), in celebration for the aniversary of his temple at Rome.
Traditional day of the dedication of the temple of Iuppiter Optimus Maximus on the Capitoline Hill by M. Horatius Pulvillus. This was the day when the Epulum Iovis (Banquet of Iuppiter) was held.
Not all festivals celebrated by the military had strict military significance. The Feriale Duranum is evidence that important 'civilian' festivals like the Vestalia (festival of Vesta) and Neptunalia (fest of Neptunus)(the latter could be there because of the climate in Dura Europos, which brought the need for fresh water) were celebrated at the camp.
The Feriale Duranum is unfortunately damaged in the parts that concern the months of October, November and December. Nevertheless it is quite probable that the soldiers at Dura celebrated the Saturnalia.
I leave as an alternative the celebration of the late-imperial date of December 25th which is the aniversary of Sol Invictus (the Invincible Sun) (a date soon adopted by the Christians during the 4th century, probably because Emperor Constantinus - either for philosophical or political reasons - seems to have identified Jesus Christ and Sol Invictus as the same god), in this way joining pagans and christians in a common celebration.
Antonius Gryllus Graecus
Sacerdos Militarium (Priest of the Military)
[1] This was a town in Syria where a Roman garrison stayed for a long time.
[2] Holidays of Dura [Europos].
[3] Note that during the Empire, the vows and sacrifices took place on January 3 and January 7 respectively, which are the dates that appear in the Feriale Duranum. For sake of simplicity and compatibility with the Republican calendar I have used the Republican date January 1.