- 著者
-
小堀 馨子
- 出版者
- 東京大学文学部宗教学研究室
- 雑誌
- 東京大学宗教学年報 (ISSN:02896400)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- no.28, pp.55-66, 2010
論文/ArticlesThe Lemuria was one of two festivals for the dead in ancient Rome, and was held on May 9th, 11th, and 13th. In scholarship, the Parentalia is considered a festival dedicated to ancestral spirits, while the Lemuria, is regarded as a festival for the propitiation of the restless and malevolent dead. These festivals were held on particular days called dies religiosi. The Roman usage of the adjective religiosus does not correspond to the modern term "religious". Rather, in the Roman context, religiosus means "of the dead" or "dedicated to the dead". Therefore, the days called dies religiosi were "the days dedicated to the dead." Furthermore, related to the Lemuria, there is the issue whether it was a festival for the souls of dead ancestors (di Manes) or one for the spirits of the malignant dead (larvae). A close reading of the description of this festival found in Ovid's Fasti shows that, contrary to Ovid, the festival was held for the propitiation of the evil dead. His sympathetic description of the souls of the dead in the Lemuria seems to contradict this conclusion. However, considering Ovid's position as court poet for the first Emperor Augustus, it seems appropriate to conclude that he sought to lessen the negative image of the restless dead in the Lemuria and to make his readers regard them in a way similar to the tragic figure of Remus, one of the heroes of the Roman founding myth. However, Ovid's attempt to connect the Lemuria with the founding myth has to be seen as a failure. All other extant sources related to the Lemuria refer to larvae, or the malevolent dead. In conclusion, the term religiosus carried a meaning that its modern equivalents do not possess, i.e. "of the dead" or "dedicated to the dead". Furthermore, examination of the Lemuria shows that Roman perceptions of the dead were very complex and need further investigation. A careful analysis of Roman perceptions of the dead will also contribute substantially to our understanding of Roman religion in general.