A source-book of ancient history - The Search For Mecca

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Ludi Ssculares 469
the quirites in war and peace, and that ye guard forever Q'^j^i^j.^^-^^
the Latin name, and grant eternal safety and health to term for
_^
the Roman people the quirites, and be propitious to the possibly
Roman people the quirites, and to the legions of the Ro- Jfjg"'"^^ .
man people the quirites, and keep safe the state of the
Roman people the quirites; that ye may show yourselves
J^°^\^^^^^^^^.
well-minded and favorable to the Roman people the ism of the
quirites, to the college of fifteen, to me and my house and characterisfamily,
and that ye accept this sacrifice of nine female J^^^^^^f^'^^
lambs and nine she-goats offered unblemished; because ligion.
of these matters, on account of this female lamb, offered
without blemish, be and become ye favorable and propitious
to the Roman people the quirites,
fifteen, to me, to my house, and to my family."
to the college of
After the completion of these sacrifices, games were
JJ^^^^j^^^^"
celebrated in the night on a stage with no theatre ad- ten majoined
or seats placed; and a hundred and ten matrons,
according to instructions issued by the fifteen, held a
sellisternia
(women's banquet) to Juno and Diana, with
two seats placed (for the goddesses).
Then were celebrated the Latin games in the wooden The Latin
games.
theatre which had been erected in the Campus next to
the Tiber, and in the same form the matrons held the
sellisternia,
nor were interrupted those games which had
been begun in the night. . . .
Then to the hundred and ten married matrons, to whom
the order had been issued, M. Agrippa dictated a prayer
in the following words:
"Juno queen,—and may it be well to the Roman people
the quirites—the married matrons on their knees beseech
thee to augment in war and peace the majesty of the
Roman people the quirites, always to protect the Latin
name, to bestow eternal safety, victory and strength on
^'"^^^^J^g,