Definition: An ancient festival to the Bona Dea was held at the start of May, on the kalends. She also had moveable feast in December. During the May celebration a pregnant sow was sacrificed to Mother Earth and Ceres. The celebration was for women only, patrician, free, and slave. This means not even male animals were allowed. Nor were myrtle branches. Women consumed wine at the festival, but since wine was taboo for women, it was called "milk." The worship of the Bona Dea was part of a mystery religion. See Roman Persecutions and Margaret Imber's Bona Dea page for more basic information. The festival of the Bona Dea that caused the greatest stir was the one in 62 B.C.
Clodius attended the women-only December feast of the Bona Dea which was held at the home of Caesar and hosted by his wife Pompeia, thought to have been having an affair with Clodius. A roughly 30-year-old Clodius showed up dressed in women's garb, although presumably not the diaphonous flute-girl garb, looking so much like a woman that he passed until he opened his mouth. By attending he violated the rites of the Vestal Virgins, a sacrilege, that landed Clodius in court facing Cicero. Although Clodius was acquitted and Caesar did not actually accuse his wife of adultery, Caesar divorced Pompeia because, he said, Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.Plutarch describes this is in his Life of Caesar 9ff.
