| If religion was an essential part of a politician's life, for your ordinary Roman there was barely a beat in the day that wasn't overseen by a god. For the average Roman farmer, it wasn't just about sowing, ploughing and reaping. To get a bumper harvest they had to keep the gods happy, too. In April there was the Festival of Cerialia dedicated to the goddess of grain, which involved heading out to the Circus Maximus in the evening to watch foxes with torches tied to their tails. This, apparently, protected the crops from vermin. And then there was the festival to the god Robigus who governed mildew. To avoid an outbreak, farmers had to sacrifice a dog. And October, to thank Mars for the harvest, it was a horse that got the chop. And private rituals were as important as public festivals. Families prayed daily to the household gods, the Lares, whose statues they kept at home in special niches. And they gathered for ceremonies in the fields to offer sacrifices, ensuring the crops would ripen. In fact, the Roman farmer had so many religious obligations it's a wonder he had any time to tend his crops. |
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