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{{Short description|Roman religious festival for the goddess Flora}}
{{about|the Roman festival|the video game location|Floralia (Kirby)}}
{{Infobox holiday
|holiday_name  = Floralia
|type          = [[Roman festival]]
|longtype      = [[Religion in ancient Rome|Classical Roman religion]]
|image         = Giovanni Battista Tiepolo 090.jpg 
|image_size    = 300px
|caption       = ''Triumph of Flora'' by [[Giovanni Battista Tiepolo|Tiepolo]]  (''ca.'' 1743), a scene based on [[Ovid]]'s description of the Floralia <ref>Ovid, ''[[Fasti (poem)|Fasti]]'', Book 4; [[T.P. Wiseman]], ''The Myths of Rome'' (University of Exeter Press, 2004), pp. 1–11.</ref>
|observedby    = [[Roman Republic]], [[Roman Empire]]
|date          = 28 April – 3 May<ref>Robert Turcan, ''The Gods of Ancient Rome'' (Routledge, 2001; originally published in French 1998), p. 69.</ref>
|celebrations  = nude dancing, [[gladiator|gladiator contests]], [[ludi scaenici|theatrical performances]], [[Roman Empire#Recreation and spectacles|circus events]]
|observances   = sacrifice to [[Flora (mythology)|Flora]]; ceremonial release of hares and goats; scattering of legumes; colorful garments worn
|relatedto     = the goddess Flora
Floralia is celebrated for 6 days.
}}

The '''Floralia''' was a [[Roman festival|festival]] of [[Religion in ancient Rome|ancient Roman religion]] in honor of the [[Flora (mythology)|goddess Flora]], held on 27 April during the [[Roman Republic|Republican era]], or 28 April in the [[Julian calendar]]. The festival included ''Ludi Florae'', the "Games of Flora", which lasted for six days under the [[Roman Empire|empire]].<ref>[[H.H. Scullard]], ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'' (Cornell University Press, 1981), p. 110.</ref>

The festival had a licentious, pleasure-seeking atmosphere. In contrast to many festivals which had a [[Patrician (ancient Rome)|patrician]] character, the games of Flora were [[plebs|plebeian]] in nature.<ref>[[William Warde Fowler]], ''The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Republic'' (London, 1908), p. 92.</ref>

==Flora==
{{Main|Flora (mythology)}}
Flora is one of the most ancient goddesses of Roman religion and was one of fifteen deities to have her own state-supported high priest, the ''[[flamen]] Florialis''. A goddess of flowers, vegetation, and fertility, she received sacrifices ''([[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#piaculum|piacula]])'' in the sacred grove of the [[Arval Brothers]], an archaic priesthood.<ref>Fowler, ''Roman Festivals'', p. 92; Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref> Her altar at Rome was said to have been established by the [[Sabines|Sabine]] king [[Titus Tatius]] during the semi-legendary [[Roman Kingdom|Regal period]].<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref> ''Flusalis'' (linguistically equivalent to ''Floralia'') was a month on the Sabine calendar, and [[Varro]] counted Flora among the [[List of Roman deities#Sabine gods|Sabine deities]].<ref>Fowler, ''Roman Festivals'', p. 92.</ref>

==Temples of Flora==
The [[Temple of Flora]] was built in Rome upon consultation with the [[Sibylline Books]] shortly after a drought that occurred around 241–238 BCE. The temple was located near the [[Circus Maximus]] on the lower slope of the [[Aventine Hill]], a site associated with the [[plebs|plebeians]] of Rome. Games were instituted for the founding day of the temple (28 April), and were held only occasionally until continued crop damage led to their annual celebration beginning in 173.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref>

''Flora Rustica'' ("Rural Flora") had another temple on the [[Quirinal Hill]], the Temple of Flora Rustica, which may have been the location of the altar erected by Tatius.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref>

==Games==
[[File:Fasti Praenestini Massimo n3.jpg|thumb|Fragment of the ''[[Fasti Praenestini]]'' showing a note on the ''Ludi Florae'']]
The games ''([[ludi]])'' of Flora were presented by the [[plebeian aedile]]s and paid for by fines collected when public lands ''([[ager publicus]])'' were encroached upon.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref> [[Cicero]] mentions his role in organizing games for Flora when he was aedile in 69 BC.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', pp. 110–111.</ref> The festival opened with theatrical performances ''([[ludi scaenici]])'', and concluded with [[Roman Empire#Recreation and spectacles|competitive events and spectacles]] at the Circus and a sacrifice to Flora.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref> In AD 68, the entertainments at the Floralia presented under the emperor [[Galba]] featured a [[funambulism|tightrope-walking]] elephant.<ref>[[Suetonius]], ''Life of Galba'' 6.1; Thomas E.J. Wiedemann, ''Emperors and Gladiators'' p. 63.</ref>

===Participation of prostitutes===
[[Prostitution in ancient Rome|Prostitutes]] participated in the Floralia as well as the wine festival ([[Vinalia]]) on 23 April. According to the satirist [[Juvenal]],<ref>Juvenal, 6.249f.</ref> prostitutes danced naked and fought in mock [[gladiator]] combat.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref> Many prostitutes in ancient Rome were [[slavery in ancient Rome|slaves]], and even free women who worked as prostitutes lost their legal and social standing as citizens, but their inclusion at religious festivals indicates that they were not completely cast out from society.<ref>Thomas A.J. McGinn, ''Prostitution, Sexuality and the Law in Ancient Rome'' (Oxford University Press, 1998), p. 24.</ref>

==Observances==
[[Ovid]] says that [[hare]]s and [[goat]]s—animals considered fertile and salacious—were ceremonially released as part of the festivities. [[Persius]] says that the crowd was pelted with [[vetch]]es, beans, and [[lupin]]s, also [[fertility and religion#Fertility symbols|symbols of fertility]].

In contrast to the [[Cerealia]], when white garments were worn, multi-colored clothing was customary.<ref>Ovid, ''Fasti'' 5.355ff.</ref> There may have been nocturnal observances, since sources mention measures taken to light the way after the theatrical performances.

A rite called the '''Florifertum''' is described by one source<ref>[[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]], 81 in the edition of Lindsay.</ref> as involving the bearing ''(fert-)'' of wheat ears ''(spicae)'' into a shrine ''([[sacrarium]])''. It is unclear whether the offering was made to Flora<ref>P.Wissowa, ''Religion und Kultus der Römer'', 1912, München ; H.Le Bonniec, ''Le culte de Cérès à Rome des origines à la fin de la République'', 1958, Paris; Kurt Latte, ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'' , 1960, Leipzig; P.Pouthier, ''Ops et la conception divine de l'abondance dans la religion romaine jusqu'à la mort d'Auguste'', BEFAR 242, 1981, Rome.</ref> or to [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]],<ref>Kurt Latte, ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'' , 1960, Leipzig.</ref> or whether if made to Flora it occurred on 27 April or 3 May.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 249.</ref> Ovid describes a ''florifertum''  in honor of [[Lucina (goddess)|Juno Lucina]] on 1 March,<ref>Ovid, ''Fasti'' 3.251-258: "Bear flowers to the Goddess; this Goddess rejoices in flowering plants" ''(ferte Deae'' (=Juno Lucina) ''flores; gaudet florentibus herbis haec Dea)''.</ref> a date also celebrated as the ''[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#dies natalis|dies natalis]]'' ("birthday") of [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]]<ref>F-H.Massa-Pairault, ''Lasa Vecu, Lasa Vecuvia'', ''Dialoghi di Archeologia'', 3,6, 1988.</ref> [[Mars (mythology)#Birth|in whose conception]] Flora played a role.

==See also==
* [[Maiuma (festival)]], Roman-era religious water festival held in May
* [[May Queen]]
* [[Roman festivals]]
* [[Rosalia (festival)|Rosalia]], a festival of roses celebrated throughout the Roman Empire

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/calendar/floralia.html Encyclopædia Romana: ''Floralia'']
  
{{Roman religion (festival)}}

[[Category:Ancient Roman festivals]]
[[Category:April observances]]
[[Category:May observances]]
[[Category:Flora (mythology)]]