By Isaac Chauncy, of the College of Physicians, London.
1. Why do the Romans require a new-married woman to touch fire and
water? 204. 2. Why do they light, at nuptials, five torches? 204. 3,
4. Questions about Diana’s temples, 205. 5. Why do persons falsely
reported as dead, on their return home from foreign parts, not enter
by the door? 206. 6. Why do women kiss their relations? 207. 7.
Why are husbands and wives forbidden to receive presents from each
other? 208. 8. Why may they not receive a gift from a son-in-law or
father-in-law? 209. 9. Why do husbands returning from remote parts
send to acquaint their wives of their approach? 209. 10. Why do
men in divine service cover their heads, &c.? 209. 11. Why do they
sacrifice to Saturn with head uncovered? 210. 12. Why do they esteem
Saturn the father of truth? 211. 13. Why do they sacrifice to Honor
bareheaded? 211. 14. Why do sons appear at their parents’ funerals
with covered heads, &c.? 211. 15. Why do Romans not sacrifice to the
god Terminus? 212. 16. Why must not maid-servants enter the temple of
Matuta? 212. 17. Why do not women supplicate this goddess in behalf
of their children? 213. 18. Why do the rich pay tithes to Hercules?
213. 19. Why does the Roman year begin in January? 213. 20. Why is
not myrtle brought into the temple of Bona Dea? 214. 21. Why is
worship paid to the woodpecker? 215. 22. Why is Janus described as
double-faced? 215. 23. Why are funeral things sold in the temple of
Venus Libitina? 216. 24. Explain the Kalends, Nones, and Ides, 216.
25. Why are the days after the Kalends, Nones, and Ides, considered
unlucky? 217. 26. Why is white sometimes worn as a sign of mourning?
219. 27. Why are walls reputed sacred but not the gates? 219. 28.
Why are children forbidden to swear by Hercules within doors? 220.
29. Why must not the new-married woman step over the threshold but
be carried? 221. 30. Why is she to say, “Where thou art Caius, I am
Caia”? 221. 31. Why is the name Thalassius sung at nuptials? 221.
32. Why are effigies of men, in some cases, called Argives? 222.
33. Why did not men in ancient times sup abroad without their sons?
222. 34. Why were funeral rites performed in December instead of
February? 223. 35. Why is worship paid to the harlot Laurentia? 223.
36. Why is one gate at Rome known as the Window? 224. 37. Why are
spoils taken in war allowed to decay? 225. 38. Why was divination
prohibited after the month of August? 225. 39. Why is it unlawful
for a man not yet mustered into the army to slay an enemy? 226. 40.
Why was it unlawful to anoint a priest of Jupiter in the open air?
226. 41. Why on the ancient coin was Janus stamped, with a ship on
the reverse? 228. 42. Why is the temple of Saturn used as the public
treasury? 228. 43. Why must ambassadors go to Saturn’s temple, and
be there registered? 229. 44. Why must not priests of Jupiter swear?
229. 45. Why at the feast of Venus is wine so freely used? 230. 46.
Why would the ancients have the temple of Horta to stand always open?
230. 47. Why did Romulus build the temple of Vulcan without the city?
231. 48. Why were garlands used in the Consualia? 231. 49. Why did
candidates for office appear without tunics? 232. 50. Why did the
priest of Jupiter, on the death of his wife, resign his office? 232.
51. Why is a dog set before the Lares, and why are the Lares covered
with dogs’ skins? 233. 52. Why is a dog sacrificed to Geneta, &c.?
233. 53. Why, at the Capitoline games, are Sardians offered for
sale by a crier? 234. 54. Why is the flesh-market called Macellum?
234. 55. Why do the minstrels wear women’s apparel on the Ides of
January? 234. 56. Why is it supposed that matrons built the temple
of Carmenta? 235. 57. Why is milk plentifully used in the women’s
sacrifice to Rumina? 236. 58. Why are some senators called Patres,
and others Patres Conscripti? 236. 59. Why was one altar common to
Hercules and the Muses? 236. 60. Why, of the two altars of Hercules,
do the women not partake of the greater? 237. 61. Why is the name
of the tutelary god of Rome not allowed to be mentioned? 237. 62.
Why of the Feciales was the Pater Patratus accounted the chief? 238.
63. Why is the Rex Sacrorum forbidden to bear civil office? 238. 64.
Why after eating must something always be left on the table? 239.
65. The first congress with a wife, why must it be in the dark? 239.
66. Why was a horse-race round called Flaminia? 239. 67. Whence the
name _lictors_? 239. 68. Why do the Luperci sacrifice a dog?
240. 69. Why upon the Septimontium are chariots not drawn by a pair
of horses? 240. 70. Why are convicted thieves called Furciferi? 241.
71. Why is hay bound to the horns of unruly oxen? 241. 72. Why must
the lanterns of soothsayers be open at the top? 242. 73. Why were
priests, afflicted with sores, forbidden to use divination? 242. 74.
Why did Servius Tullius build a temple of Small Fortune? 243. 75.
Why did the Romans not extinguish a candle? 243. 76. Why were little
moons worn on the shoes? 244. 77. Why was the year Jupiter’s, but
the month Juno’s? 244. 78. Why in soothsaying is _sinister_
fortunate? 245. 79. Why might the bones of one who had triumphed be
brought into the city? 246. 80. Why were the consuls requested not to
come to the supper of the triumpher? 246. 81. Why did not the tribune
wear purple? 246. 82. Why, before the chief officers, were the axes
carried bound up in rods? 247. 83. Why did the Romans forbid a human
sacrifice to barbarians, and offer one themselves? 248. 84. Why does
the Roman day begin at midnight? 249. 85. Why of old were women not
suffered to grind or to cook? 250. 86. Why are there no marriages in
May? 250. 87. Why is the hair of a bride parted with a spear? 251.
88. Why is the money for public plays called _lucar_? 251. 89.
Why is the Quirinalia called the Feast of Fools? 251. 90. Why, at
a sacrifice to Hercules, was no other god mentioned, &c.? 252. 91.
Why might not patricians dwell about the Capitol? 252. 92. Why is
a garland of oak-leaves put on him who saves a citizen in battle?
252. 93. Why are vultures used in soothsaying? 253. 94. Why is the
temple of Aesculapius placed without the city? 254. 95. Why must
chaste people abstain from pulse? 254. 96. Why are Vestal Virgins,
when unchaste, buried alive? 254. 97. Why, at a horse-race, is the
winning horse sacrificed to Mars, &c.? 255. 98. Why do the censors
begin their official work by feeding the sacred geese? 255. 99. Why
are augurs never deprived of office? 256. 100. Why, at the Ides of
August, do the servants feast and the free-women wait on them? 257.
101. Why are boys decorated with the necklace called _bulla_?
257. 102. Why do boys receive names at nine days old, and girls at
eight? 258. 103. Why are those whose fathers are not known called
_Spurius_? 258. 104. Why was Bacchus called Liber Pater? 259.
105. Why are widows married on holidays, but not virgins? 259. 106.
Why do the Romans worship Fortuna Primigenia? 260. 107. Whence the
term _histriones_? 260. 108. Why are marriages between persons
near akin not practised? 260. 109. Why must not the chief priest of
Jupiter touch meal or leaven? 261. 110. Why is he forbidden to touch
raw flesh? 261. 111. Why is he forbidden to touch or name dog or
goat? 262. 112. Why is he forbidden to touch ivy, or to pass under
vine branches? 263. 113. Why is he forbidden to bear civil office?
264.