Definition: Megalesia (also known as Megalensia or Megalenses Ludi) was a Roman festival, established in 191 B.C., to honor the Magna Mater 'Great Mother' goddess -- Cybele. The Megalesia was held from 4-10 April or on April 4 and 10.
The prophetically-accurate Sibylline books had revealed to the Romans that with the foreign Magna Mater they would be able to defeat Carthage in the war Rome was struggling to win against Hannibal. So, on the day in 203 B.C. that Romans first carried the stone simulacrum of the goddess Cybele to Rome, they feted her with a procession and games.
After completing Cybele's temple in 193 B.C., Rome celebrated the Megalesia each year, with feasting, extravagance, and performances before her temple. The magistrate in charge, the curule aedile put on Cybele's games -- dramatic presentations (no racetracks, gladiators or beast fights), including Terence's comedies.
Some Technicalities
In "The Dates of the Megalesia," Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association, 1930, George Depue Hadzsits points out that the 3rd and 11th of April may have been opening (and presumably, closing) days for the events. He also says that not all the games during this period were for the Megalesia; that some were for other concurrent anniversaries.Go to Other Ancient / Classical History Glossary pages beginning with the letter
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