Unravel the mysteries behind Ovid's Sacra Idulia and the ritual place.
This scholarly study reexamines Ovid’s Fasti to test the reliability of his description of where the sacrifice took place and which sex the victim represented. It weighs classical sources, inscriptions, and architectural context to clarify the ritual setting of the Idulia.
In clear, accessible prose, the book traces how translators and later scholars may have misunderstood terms for temple spaces and how those choices affect the story Ovid tells. It also situates the Sacra Idulia within Roman sacrificial law, showing how gender and ritual practice were treated in pontifical writing and public rites.
- Explore how ancient terms for temple spaces were used and misinterpreted
- See how inscriptions and architectural evidence inform literary descriptions
- Learn how Roman ritual rules governed which animals could be sacrificed to Jupiter
- Understand why Ovid’s portrayal may reflect a source’s terminology more than a strict ritual account
Ideal for readers of classical philology, Roman religion, and Ovid’s Fasti, this edition offers careful analysis for students and scholars alike.