ante diem iii nonas januarias
ludi compitales (day 1) -- really a moveable festival which might occur anytime between Saturnalia and January 5. It was largely a rural occasion involving woollen dolls being made to represent each free member of the household (simple woollen balls would be used to represent slaves) being hung up on the eve of the festival, presumably as offerings to the Lares. There would also follow more formal sacrifices at the compita (places where two farm paths crossed).
106 B.C. -- birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero at Arpinum
1943 -- death of F.M. Cornford (translator and commentator of Plato, among other things ... quote: "Every action which is not customary either is wrong, or if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. It follows that nothing should ever be done for the first time.")
ludi compitales (day 1) -- really a moveable festival which might occur anytime between Saturnalia and January 5. It was largely a rural occasion involving woollen dolls being made to represent each free member of the household (simple woollen balls would be used to represent slaves) being hung up on the eve of the festival, presumably as offerings to the Lares. There would also follow more formal sacrifices at the compita (places where two farm paths crossed).
106 B.C. -- birth of Marcus Tullius Cicero at Arpinum
1943 -- death of F.M. Cornford (translator and commentator of Plato, among other things ... quote: "Every action which is not customary either is wrong, or if it is right, is a dangerous precedent. It follows that nothing should ever be done for the first time.")