For Ops see on Aug. 25, when the sacrifice was in the Regia, the
significance of which I endeavoured to explain. Here it is ‘ad forum,’
which has lately aroused a little unfruitful dispute. Is the temple of
Saturn meant, which was also described as ‘ad forum’ in the same
calendar? This is still the view of Mommsen[1208], who seems to hold the
old opinion that there was a sacellum Opis attached to the aedes
Saturni, or that this aedes was dedicated to both deities[1209]. H.
Jordan made up his mind that ‘ad forum’ meant the Regia[1210]; but this
is not supported by any similar entry in the _Fasti_. Aust and Wissowa
believe that Ops had a separate temple ‘ad forum,’ of which all traces
are lost, as has happened with many others[1211]; and the latter, as we
have already seen, disbelieves in any connexion between Saturnus and
Ops, attributing it entirely to Greek influence.
However this may be, the one interesting fact about the temple—or
whatever it was—is that it was ‘ad forum.’ The conjunction of Saturnus
and Ops at this place and time must surely indicate some connexion of
function between the two. But what it was is not discoverable; under
Saturnalia I have merely suggested the direction in which we may look
for it.
XII (ANTE CAES. X). KAL. IAN. (DEC. 21). NP.
DIVA[LIA]. (MAFF. PRAEN.)
Praen. adds a terribly mutilated note, which Mommsen thus fills up from
stray hints in Varro, Pliny (following Verrius), and Macrobius[1212]:
FERIAE DIVA[E ANGERONAE, QUAE AB ANGINAE MORBO] APPELL[ATUR, QUOD
REMEDIA EIUS QUONDAM] PRAE[CEPIT. STATUERUNT EAM ORE OBLIGATO] IN AR[A
VOLUPIAE, UT QUI NO]SSET N[OMEN] OCCUL[TUM URBIS, TACERET. S]UNT TAMEN,
[QUI FIERI ID SACRU]M AIUNT OB AN[NUM NOVUM; MANI]FESTUM ESSE [ENIM
PRINCIPIU]M [A]NNI NOV[I].
The date given by Pliny and Macrobius proves that Angerona was the deity
of the Divalia; but the etymology of the latter is useless, and the
statement of Pliny as to the statue with the mouth gagged and sealed
fails to give us any clue to the nature or function of the
goddess[1213]. Angerona is, in fact, the North Pole of our exploration:
no one has ever reached her, and probably no one ever will. The mention
of Volupia by Macrobius gives no help; she is only elsewhere mentioned
as one of the numina of the Indigitamenta by Augustine[1214]. The only
possible clue is that of which Mommsen has taken advantage in the very
clever completion of Verrius’ last words, viz. the fact that this day
(21st) is the centre one of the winter solstice. He here even allows
himself an etymology, and derives Angeronalia ‘ab angerendo, id est ἀπὸ
τοῦ ἀναφέρεσθαι τὸν ἥλιον’: quoting Plutarch (_de Iside_, ch. 52) for
similar Egyptian ideas of the sun’s birth at this time. Though the
etymology may be doubtful, the inference from the date of the festival
is certainly acceptable, in the absence of anything more definite: and
the ‘Praenestine fragments’ clearly suggest the word ‘annus.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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