Pales
Pālēs, in Roman religion, a deity of flocks and shepherds, similar to Pan among the Greeks, male according to Varro and others, female according to Virgil and Ovid. The festival of Pales, the Parilia, took place on 21 April, the traditional ‘birthday’ of Rome (and still regarded as such). It seems to have been a ritual purification of shepherds and flocks, firmly connected (for reasons which remain obscure) with the foundation of Rome. The sheep pens were cleaned and decorated with greenery, and sulphur was burnt on bonfires so that the smoke purified the sheep; offerings of cake and milk were made to Pales. The shepherd washed himself in dew, drank milk, and leaped through the bonfire. At the urban celebration of the festival the ashes of the calves burnt at the Fordicidia were sprinkled on the fire. Ovid believed that the Parilia were older than Rome itself.
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This article is about the Roman god. For the asteroid, see 49 Pales.
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In ancient Roman religion, Pales was a deity of shepherds, flocks and livestock. Regarded as male by some sources and female by others, and even possibly as a pair of deities, as Pales could be either singular or plural in Latin.
Pales' festival, called the Parilia, was celebrated on April 21. Cattle were driven through bonfires on this day. Another festival to Pales, apparently dedicated "to the two Pales" (Palibus duobus) was held on July 7.
Marcus Atilius Regulus built a temple to Pales in Rome following his victory over the Salentini in 267 BC. It is generally thought to have been located on the Palatine Hill, but, being a victory monument, it may have been located on the route of the triumphal procession, either on the Campus Martius or the Aventine Hill.
References
- Richardson, L. (1992). A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome. Baltimore and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press. (p. 282)
- Scullard, H.H. (1981). Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic. London: Thames and Hudson. (p. 104–105)
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Oxford Companion to Classical Literature
The Concise Oxford Companion to Classical Literature. Copyright © 1993, 2003 by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
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