Quirinus
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- This page is about the Roman god Quirinus. For other uses see: Quirinus (disambiguation)
In Roman mythology, Quirinus was a mysterious person god. It was also an epithet of Janus, as Janus Quirinus.
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[edit] Etymology
His name has been derived from co-viri "men together"; as such, he embodied the military and economic strength of the Roman populus collectively.[citation needed] He also watched over the curia "senate house" and comitia curiata "tribal assembly", the names of which are cognate with his own. This meant that Roman citizens were sometimes called "Quirites" after Quirinus, considering the title an honour[1].
[edit] Origins
His first origin was probably as a Sabine god. The Sabines had a settlement near the eventual site of Rome, and they called one of their sites, in which they had erected an altar, the Collis Quirinalis ("Quirinal Hill") after Quirinus.
This Collis was later included among the Seven hills of Rome, and Quirinus became one of the most important gods of the state. His worship was always strongly linked to ancestor-worship and as such he was interpreted by the Romans as the deified form of Romulus, the founder and first king of Rome. Romulus's wife was also deified as Hora.
Other sources claim that Quirinus was the deified Aeneas, who was believed to be the ancestor of the Roman people.
[edit] Art and festivals
In art, he was portrayed as a bearded man with religious and military clothing.
He was sometimes associated with the myrtle plant.
His festival was the Quirinalia, on February 17. His priest was the Flamen Quirinalis.
[edit] References
- ^ Livy - [citation needed]
[edit] Sources
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