A wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. Photograph by Connor Kurtz (June 10, 2007). Public domain image, Wikimedia Commons.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tomb_of_the_Unknowns_crack.jpg.

In ancient Rome, a festival known as the Rosalia, “the Festival of the Roses”, was held on May 10, and also possibly other days depending on whatever other town you lived in within the Roman Empire.

Unfortunately, there is very little information in the historical records about this day’s origins or activities. The ancient Roman authors themselves scarcely mention anything about this day. For example, the poet Ovid makes absolutely no mention whatsoever of the Rosalia festival within his Fasti. However, he does go into considerable detail concerning the flower festival known as the Floralia, which lasted from April 28 to May 3. Most of our information about the Rosalia comes from carved inscriptions rather than documents, and these are often very short and enigmatic in nature. One ancient inscription reads V ID MAI DIE ROSAE, which means “the fifth day before the Ides of May is the Day of the Roses” (1). Since the Ides of May falls on the 15th day of the month, the so-called “Day of the Roses” would fall on May 10. However, this is just one inscription in one area. Evidence shows that the Rosalia was very much a locally-organized holiday, and different communities held this festival on different dates. Dates which are given for this festival include April 19, May 7, May 10, May 11, May 21, and June 19 (2). Contrast this with March 22, which was almost always set aside as the dies violationis, the day for scattering violets upon loved one’s graves, while the Rosalia seems to have been an un-fixed holiday (3).

Like the “Day of the Violets”, the “Day of the Roses” was appointed as a day to place flowers upon the graves of loved ones (4). The Latin term used in this context is rosatio, which refers to the action of placing roses or scattering rose petals on a grave (5). In one way, it isn’t surprising that May 10 (at least according to some references) would be appointed as a day to place flowers upon graves and tombs. For those of you who are familiar with the Roman calendar, you know that May 9, 11, and 13 are the dates for the Lemuria, one of the ancient Roman festivals of the dead.

One ancient source known as the Feriale Duranum mentions a rosaliae signorum taking place on May 9 and May 30. On these days, the military standards were cleansed and were decorated with rose crowns and garlands (6). This is corroborated to a degree by Graham Webster, who says that during religious festivals, the legionary standards were anointed with holy oil and decorated with flower garlands (7). The act of hanging rose garlands upon the unit standards might have served as an act of remembrance for all of the members of the unit who had died, which would be in keeping with the general purpose of the Rosalia of using roses to honor the dead. If this is true, then is would be very similar to the act of wearing the red poppy flower in November to commemorate the ending of World War I. However, I have not been able to find any evidence that this is definitely the meaning of this ritual.

Please check out my “Today in Ancient Rome” series for more articles on the ancient Roman calendar. You can find the whole list by clicking here!

Source citations

1. Arthur Bernard Cook, “Iostephanos”. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, volume 20 (1900). London. Macmillan & Company, Ltd., 1900. Page 11.
2. Octave Delepierre, The Rose: Its Cultivation, Use, and Symbolical Meaning in Antiquity. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1856. Page 18.
3. “Pagan Inscriptions and Christian Cemeteries”. The Month: A Magazine and Review, volume 3, issue 14 (January to June, 1871). London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Company, 1871. Page 22); Rev. James Spencer Northcote and Rev. William Robert Brownlow, Roma Sotterranea: An Account of the Roman Catacombs, Volume 1, New Edition. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1879. Page 58.
4. Octave Delepierre, The Rose: Its Cultivation, Use, and Symbolical Meaning in Antiquity. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1856. Page 18; C. Osborne Ward, The Ancient Lowly: The History of the Ancient Working People from the Earliest Known Period to the Adoption of Christianity by Constantine, Volume II, 9th Edition. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, 1900. Page 296.
5. George N. Olcott, Studies in the Word Formation of the Latin Inscriptions. Rome: Sallustian Typography, 1898. Page 29.
6. Georgia L. Irby-Massie, Military Religion on Roman Britain. Leiden: Brill, 1999. Pages 43-44.
7. Graham Webster, The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D., third edition. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1985. Page 133.

Bibliography

• “Pagan Inscriptions and Christian Cemeteries”. The Month: A Magazine and Review, volume 3, issue 14 (January to June, 1871). London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Company, 1871. Pages 20-39.
• Cook, Arthur Bernard “Iostephanos”. The Journal of Hellenic Studies, volume 20 (1900). London. Macmillan & Company, Ltd., 1900. Pages 1-13.
• Delepierre, Octave. The Rose: Its Cultivation, Use, and Symbolical Meaning in Antiquity. London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1856.
• Irby-Massie, Georgia L. Military Religion on Roman Britain. Leiden: Brill, 1999.
• Northcote, Rev. James Spencer; Brownlow, Rev. William Robert. Roma Sotterranea: An Account of the Roman Catacombs, Volume 1, New Edition. London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1879.
• Olcott, George N. Studies in the Word Formation of the Latin Inscriptions. Rome: Sallustian Typography, 1898.
• Ward, Osborne. The Ancient Lowly: The History of the Ancient Working People from the Earliest Known Period to the Adoption of Christianity by Constantine, Volume II, 9th Edition. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, 1900.
• Webster, Graham. The Roman Imperial Army of the First and Second Centuries A.D., third edition. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1985.

Categories: History, Uncategorized

Tags: ancient, battle, calendar, Europe, festival, history, May, military, Roman, Roman Army, Roman Empire, Roman Republic, Rome, Rosalia