During the hot summer month of August, Ancient Romans would go to the sanctuary of Diana Nemorensis in the grove ("Nemus Dianae") around lake Nemi, 20km south or Rome. Supplicants would go there carrying torches, their heads crowned by wreaths, to bring votive tablets (Latin: tabella), some kind of threads❷ and also terracotta replicas of body parts that needed healing ❸.
Women in particular seem to have been common among the supplicants❷❹, perhaps because Diana Nemorensis was associated with childbirth❺. They traditionally washed their hair on that day❻.
Slaves also participated in the ritual and were given the day off from work❻. The position of Rex Nemorensis, the priest in charge of the deity's temple, was even reserved for runaway slaves. Each Rex Nemorensis had to kill his predecessor in order to take his position❷❺.
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| Statue of Diana as a Huntress, Museo de Arqueología, Sevilla (Spain) |
The cult image at the sancuary at Lacus Nemi, which was likely made out of gold❼, appears on coins as three separate statues❽. This is quite different from the classical Hellenic depiction of Artemis, but slightly reminiscent of triform statues of Trivia (Greek: Hekate) with whom Diana was often associated.
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| Statue of Trivia/Hekate, Oudheidkundig Museum, Leiden (the Netherlands) |
Sources:
❶ Statius, Silvae. book III, 1.60.
❷ Ovid. Fasti. book III, 264.
❸ White, Donald et al. (2002) Guide to the Etruscan and Roman Worlds at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania: pp54-56.
❹ Propertius. Eligies, book II, 32.10.
❺ Henriksén, Christer (2012) A Commentary on Martial, Epigrams, Book 9. Oxford: Oxford University Press: p272.
❻ Plutarch. Quaestiones Romanae, 100.
❼ Ovid. Heroides. 12.70
❽ Green, C.M.C. Roman Religion and the Cult of Diana at Aricia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press:p79.
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