10. BONA DEA, the good goddess. The worship of the good goddess was imported from Greece in later times; and perhaps its basis was the worship of Dêmêtêr. The temple of the good goddess was on Mount Aventine. At her feast on the 1st of May all suggestions of the male sex were banished from the house; no wine must be drunk; the myrtle, as a symbol of love, was removed. The idea of the feast was of a chaste marriage, as helping to preserve the human race. 11. MAGNA MATER, or Cybele. This was a foreign worship, but early introduced at Rome. 12. FLORA. She was an original goddess of Italy, presiding over flowers and blossoms. Great license was practised at her worship. 13. VERTUMNUS, the god of gardens, was an old Italian deity, existing before the foundation of Rome. 14. POMONA, goddess of the harvest. 18. PALES. A rural god, protecting cattle. At his feast men and cattle were purified. The Romans had many other deities, whose worship was more or less popular. But those now mentioned were the principal ones. This list shows that the powers of earth were more objects of reverence than the heavenly bodies. The sun and stars attracted this agricultural people less than the spring and summer, seedtime and harvest. Among the Italians the country was before the city, and Rome was founded by country people. § 3. Worship and Ritual. The Roman ceremonial worship was very elaborate and minute, applying to every part of daily life. It consisted in sacrifices, prayers, festivals, and the investigation by augurs and haruspices of the will of the gods and the course of future events. The Romans accounted themselves an exceedingly religious people, because their religion was so intimately connected with the affairs of home and state. The Romans distinguished carefully between things sacred and profane. This word "profane" comes from the root "fari," _to speak_; because the gods were supposed to speak to men by symbolic events. A _fane_ is a place thus consecrated by some divine event; a _profane_ place, one not consecrated.[286] But that which man dedicates to the gods (_dedicat_ or _dicat_) is sacred, or consecrated.[287] Every place which was to be dedicated was first "liberated" by the augur from common uses; then "consecrated" to divine uses by the pontiff. A "temple" is a place thus separated, or cut off from other places; for the root of this word, like that of "tempus" (time) is the same as the Greek τέμνω, _to cut_.