Tales of the Saturnalia Trivia Quiz

Answer: To mark the end of autumn harvest and planting.

Saturn was considered to be the first god of the Capitoline Hill in ancient Rome; a very ancient altar to the god was located there. In fact, it was believed that in the most ancient times he had ruled the site of Rome, which was called "Saturnius Mons". Associated with many areas, he was the god of plenty, wealth, agriculture, and renewal, as well as other important functions.

The Romans never forgot their agricultural roots; farming as an occupation was highly respected and important to one's identity as a Roman.

In fact, being a farmer was one of the characteristics of an ideal Roman, along with worshiping the gods, and serving Rome.

Answer: Senate

In 497 BC, the Temple of Saturn was dedicated in Rome; the first Saturnalia festival's ritual customs and sacrifices had begun! The Senators, whose attendance was required, arranged what was called a "lectisternium", a ritual which had begun in ancient Greece. The image of Saturn was placed on a comfortable couch as if he were there, enjoying the festivities. Usually a bust or a statue, the image was draped with fabric and placed on the couch so that one of the arms was on a cushion, it looked like the figure was reclining.

Answer: December 17

The "kalends" were the days at the beginning of each month on a Roman calendar. Originally the Saturnalia festival was to be held sixteen days before the "kalends" of January. Believed to have been instituted by the first two legendary kings, Romulus and Numa Pompilius, the Saturnalia festival marked the anniversary of the opening of the Temple of Saturn in the Roman Forum.

When Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar, the date fell on December 17, which was the first day of the astrological sign Capricorn, connected to the house of Saturn and ruled by the planet.

Answer: The wool was removed from the feet of the statue of Saturn in his temple.

Saturn's guise as the god of liberation meant that he had to be kept in fetters most of the time; the fetters, which were made of woolen strips, were taken off at the beginning of the Saturnalia. The hollow statue of Saturn was filled with olive oil to symbolize his agricultural functions.

A sacrifice was offered by priests, and carried out as what the Romans called "ritus graecus", or Greek rite. Many of Rome's religious beliefs were adopted from the Greeks, and Saturn was no exception; his Greek counterpart was Cronus.

Answer: Sol Invictus

Sol Invictus was made the official Roman sun god at the end of the Empire Period, however, his cult had existed from the earliest time in Roman history. Historians disagree on if the new cult was entirely revolutionary or if it just experienced rejuvenation.

In 274 AD, just a few years before Constantine issued the Edict of Milan which legalized Christianity, the Emperor Aurelian made the worship of the sun god an official cult. Sol Invictus was worshiped on December 25, at the end of the Saturnalia, in connection with the winter solstice, the renewal of light, and the new year.

Answer: Ho Ho Ho!

A popular greeting during the Saturnalia, it is believed that "Io, Saturnalia!" originated as a dismissal when the ceremonies to honor Saturn had been completed at his temple. The word, "io" was pronounced as either a two-syllable word with a short "i" and long "o", or as one syllable, with the "i" becoming a "j" and a long "o", as in "yo". Frequently used in celebrations connected with Bacchus or a triumph, "io" was also used to add emphasis at the end of a statement or joke.

Answer: The duration of the festival varied throughout Roman history.

The Saturnalia began as a one-day feast. However, with the introduction of the Julian calendar, it expanded to three days during the time of Augustus to include both the original date of the celebration and the new one. According to the writer Macrobius, during the later part of the Republic, the celebrations were extended to seven days. During the Empire Period it appears that the length of the celebration was dictated by the emperor.

For example, during the reign of Caligula, the festival lasted for five days.

Answer: True

The Saturnalia was a legal holiday from all kinds of work - even exercising and school! During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the celebration. War could not be declared; all business was suspended. Unlike some of the other Roman festivals which were associated with cult temples or sites in Rome, the Saturnalia could be celebrated anywhere in the empire, so it was likely that the entire empire took time off.

Answer: The celebration of the Saturnalia was both a public and private event.

The Saturnalia began with ceremonies at the Temple of Saturn, after which the people were dismissed with a "Io Saturnalia!", and expected to return home and continue with the festivities. Families conducted their own religious rituals, and enjoyed the time off, participating in a number of activities.

Answer: False

While Virgil's writings were certainly important to explain the founding of Rome to the ancient Romans, he did not write about the Saturnalia. In fact, there is not one definitive source about the celebration that was written by an ancient Roman. Macrobius, a Roman writer from the fifth century AD, is the main source of information about the festival.

His work, "Saturnalia", studies many different Roman religious customs; at a fictional banquet a group of men are discussing Roman history, mythology, knowledge, and customs.

There are seven books in the series, however, even the work of Macrobius does not cover all the information about the Saturnalia. It has really been pieced together based on the writings of many different ancient sources.