MĔGĂLĒSĬA

MĔGĂLENSĬA, or MĔGĂLENSES LŪDI, a festival with games, celebrated at Rome in the month of April and in honour of the great mother of the gods (Cybelé, μεγάλη θεός , whence the festival derived its name). The statue of the godde was brought to Rome from Pe inus in B.C. 203, and the day of its arrival was solemnised with a magnificent proce ion, lectisternia, and games, and great numbers of people carried presents to the godde on the Capitol. The regular celebration of the Me gales i a, however, did not begin till twelve years later ( B.C. 191), when the temple, which had been vowed and ordered to be built in B.C. 203, was completed and dedicated by M. Junius Brutus. The festival lasted for six days, beginning on the 4th of April. The season of this festival, like that of the whole month in which it took place, was full of general rejoicings and feasting. It was customary for the wealthy Romans on this occasion to invite one another mutually to their repasts. The games which were held at the Me gales i a were purely scenic, and not cir censes. They were at first held on the Palatine, in front of the temple of the godde , but afterwards also in the theatres. The day which was especially set apart for the performance of scenic plays was the third of the festival. Slaves were not permitted to be present at the games, and the magistrates appeared dre ed in a purple toga and praetexta, whence the proverb, purpura Mega lens is . The games were under the superintendence of the curule aediles, and we know that four of the extant plays of Terence were performed at the Me gales i a.