Title: Two names of white colour of a victim in Roman sacrificial rituals : the case of cretatus and calidus
Source document: Graeco-Latina Brunensia. 2023, vol. 28, iss. 2, pp. 139-150
Extent
139-150
-
ISSN1803-7402 (print)2336-4424 (online)
Persistent identifier (DOI): https://doi.org/10.5817/GLB2023-2-9
Stable URL (handle): https://hdl.handle.net/11222.digilib/digilib.79120
Type: Article
Language
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 International
Rights access
open access
Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.
Abstract(s)
The aim of this paper is to present a new perspective on the religious function of the Latin adjectives cretatus (whitened with chalk) and calidus (having a white spot on the forehead). The researchers of Roman religion have attributed to the former a specific role. Whitening chalk was used to cover any imperfections in the appearance of the sacrificial animal. According to them, cretatus could also have a pejorative meaning. The author of the article, however, disagrees with this view and suggests to examine more closely the context in which the adjective was used and references to the white colour of the victims. He argues for a different, positive interpretation, namely that the adjective cretatus was used to indicate the effect of a ceremonial act intended to emphasise Roman piety. In the case of the other adjective, calidus, the examination of the context in which the word appeared proves that it most likely did not serve as a technical religious term and animals with a white spot on their foreheads were not considered pars pro toto as white victims in Rome.
Note
This paper presents the results of research conducted as part of the project "The Priests of Jupiter. Collegium septemviri epulones in the Public Religion of Ancient Rome" funded by the National Centre of Science, Poland (UMO-2019/35/B/HS3/00909).
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