L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 14, 2026 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano I f y o u h a d w a l k e d through Rome in M a y t w o t h o u s a n d years ago, you would p r o b a b l y h a v e s e e n flowers everywhere: garlands h a n g i n g a r o u n d t e m p l e s , r o s e s c a r r i e d t h r o u g h t h e streets, colors finally appear- ing again around the city after the winter months. But you may also have come across something a tad stranger, like … merchants splashing sacred water over their goods for l u c k , o r p r i e s t s t h r o w i n g human-shaped figures into the Tiber. In the privacy of R o m a n h o m e s , y o u c o u l d h a v e c o m e a c r o s s f a t h e r s wandering barefoot through their house at midnight, toss- ing black beans behind their backs to drive away ghosts. A lot happened, right? This was because, in May, several layers of Roman life over- lapped at once with their ritu- als and traditions: agriculture, religion, trade, family rituals, military symbolism, and even fear of the dead, all found space inside the calendar. And like much of Roman cul- ture, everything could move very quickly from joyful to unsettling without anyone batting an eye. Back then, May had the same atmosphere of renewal t h a t w e a s s o c i a t e w i t h i t today. The most popular cele- b r a t i o n s p i l l i n g i n t o t h e beginning of the month was the Floralia, a festival dedi- cated to Flora, goddess of f l o w e r s a n d b l o s s o m i n g plants. It would begin at the end of April but continued into early May, and according to ancient literature, it was a colorful, noisy, and unusually relaxed affair, especially when compared to some of Rome's more rigid religious cere - monies. Basically, the Flo- ralia were more street and public entertainment than official senatorial celebra- tions: think theatrical perfor- m a n c e s , g a m e s , c r o w d s , music, dancing, and flowers thrown around in abundance. In fact, Roman writers some- times described the festival almost with a hint of embar- rassment because it had a reputation for being too play- ful and excessive. But beneath all the spectacle, there was a very practical reason to cele- brate, because in an agricul- tural society, spring flowering was enormously important: a successful season affected crops, vineyards, orchards, gardens, and therefore sur- vival itself. J u s t a h a n d f u l o f d a y s after, however, the tone and atmosphere in the city would change dramatically. On the 9th, 11th, and 13th of May came the Lemuria, which are probably among the most unsettling festivals of the year. You see, Lemuria were all about pleasing and calm- ing down the lemures, rest- less spirits of the dead who, according to Roman belief, could linger around homes and disturb the living if not properly appeased. Contrary to the Floralia, which were all about public celebration, here all becomes private, as the rituals happened inside the home, usually at night, and were led by the head of the household. The Roman poet Ovid describes how the paterfamilias would wake a f t e r m i d n i g h t , w a s h h i s hands, walk barefoot through the dark house, and throw b l a c k b e a n s b e h i n d h i m while repeating a formula intended to send the spirits away. It feels oddly vivid, even today: the silence in the home, the muffled noise of bare feet walking across the floor, the whispering voice, t h e b e a n s s t r i k i n g t h e ground. The almost intimate nature of the Lemuria says a lot about Roman spirituality, much of which focused on m a i n t a i n i n g o r d e r i n s i d e o r d i n a r y d o m e s t i c l i f e , including the invisible rela- tionship between the living and the dead. B u t t h e R o m a n s t h e m - selves did not always fully understand the origins of the rituals they preserved, a fact that becomes especially clear w i t h t h e c e r e m o n y o f t h e Argei later in the month. During this rite, priests and Vestal Virgins carried fig- ures made of reeds or straw t h r o u g h t h e c i t y b e f o r e throwing them into the Tiber from the ancient Pons Subli- cius bridge. People argued about what this ceremony o r i g i n a l l y m e a n t e v e n i n antiquity: some believed the f i g u r e s r e p l a c e d a n c i e n t human sacrifices performed in the past; others linked the ritual to old myths connected with Hercules or early settle- ments around Rome. The truth is, no one really knew for certain anymore, but the ceremony continued because the Romans were extremely conservative with their ritu- als and, even when meanings f a d e d , c e r e m o n i e s t h e m - selves survived because of the essential role of continuity in Roman society. May was not only about gods and ghosts, though; it was also deeply connected to work, business, and the prac- tical functioning of the city. On May 15 came the Mercu- ralia, dedicated to Mer- c u r y , g o d o f c o m m e r c e , communication, profit, and travel. If the Floralia cele- brated blooming nature and t h e L e m u r i a d e a l t w i t h uneasy spirits, the Mercu- r a l i a b e l o n g e d f i r m l y t o s h o p k e e p e r s a n d traders. Ancient sources describe merchants gathering near the Porta Capena to col- lect water from a sacred well associated with Mercury; they would then sprinkle it over themselves, their shops, and their merchandise while asking for success in busi- ness. A very ordinary ritual ( i f s u c h a t h i n g c a n e v e n exist), something to attract fortune and protect trade. A r o u n d t h e s a m e t i m e came the Rosalia, the festi- vals of roses, which are slightly harder to pin down because they were not a sin- gle standardized celebration a c r o s s t h e R o m a n w o r l d . T h i s i s b e c a u s e r o s e s appeared in many different contexts: on tombs, at ban- quets, during commemora- tions of the dead, and even in military ceremonies. One R o m a n m i l i t a r y c a l e n d a r records the Rosaliae sig- norum, during which mili- tary standards were decorat- e d w i t h r o s e s i n M a y ; a striking image, that of sol- d i e r s c a r r y i n g s t a n d a r d s adorned with flowers, don't you think? Last but not least, we had the Tubilustrium, a purifi- c a t i o n r i t u a l f o r s a c r e d trumpets used in military and religious ceremonies, which would conclude the month. Even sound itself, for the Caput Mundi, required r i t u a l c l e a n s i n g b e f o r e important public functions. These festivals, as you can see, were very different in essence and meaning, in a way that can be, perhaps, comparable to the many dif- ferent traditional religious celebrations happening in most of our small villages and towns: one saint is cele- brated for a miracle, another for having been a martyr, another still because it pro- tects a professional category. And all feasts can happen within a handful of days. If we look at Roman May as a whole, we notice it was made of a myriad of habits and beliefs, anxieties and tra- ditions, all layered one over the other; all centuries old. S o m e t i m e s , w e m a k e t h e m i s t a k e o f f l a t t e n i n g t h e incredible cultural complexi- ty of the Roman world into a perfectly packaged idea, built on marble statues and mili- tary history, but our ances- tors were complex, and their lives were full of rituals that were sometimes practical, sometimes emotional, and occasionally very strange. May, more than almost any other month, used to b r i n g a l l t h e s e e l e m e n t s together. CHIARA D'ALESSIO Roses, ghosts, and merchants: May in Ancient Rome Among the many festivals of May, the Rosalia lasted the longest. These flowers were used in a variety of ways to dec- orate different things, including military insignia (Image generated using Adobe Illustrator AI) HERITAGE HISTORY IDENTITY TRADITIONS

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