We call it August 13, but the Romans knew it as the ides of the sixth month until the period of the early Empire when August was re-named in honor of Augustus. The ides of the sixth month (August) was a special one for the goddess Diana (Greek Artemis). Part of this day's festivities was the washing of women's hair. Among its other odd properties, this day "involved a general day's holiday for all slaves," according to H.H.Scullard in Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic.
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Why would the hunter and virgin goddess Diana be associated with slaves?
The connection comes from the fact that her temple was used as a sanctuary for runaway slaves.
Read more about:
- The Roman Calendar
- Events in the August Calendar
- Artemis/Diana
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