Aventine Triad

The Aventinische triad is a triad formed by the deities Ceres, Liber and Libera in the Roman religion. It is a plebeian counterpart to the resultant of the gods Jupiter, Juno and Minerva Capitoline Triad, whose priesthood was dominated by the patricians. The triad is to form a correspondence to the Eleusinian triad of Demeter, Kore and Iakchos.

The name refers to the nearby temple of Ceres on the Aventine. The foundation of the cult was carried out according to tradition, 493 BC, in the early days of the Roman Republic as a votive offering of the dictator Postumius Balbus, after rebellious plebeians had left the city and settled on the Aventine. In this early period, the introduction of the feast of Liberalia expected to fall in honor Libers.

The temple in which each of the three deities were dedicated Cella, was located near the Circus Maximus. Localization under the church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin is considered unlikely suspects the temple is on the western slope of the Aventine above the Circus.

For the priesthood belonged to the Flemish Cerealis, one of the twelve flamens minores, as well as in the early days, the plebeian aediles as temple guardians, hence its name, from aedes ("Temple "). The aediles were also responsible for the. , The festival of Ceres, who lined up on April 12 to 19 held annually ludi Ceriales On Hauptfesttag, 19 April, a horse race was held and in Circus foxes were released with burning torches at the tail.

In the temple there was also an archive, originally the archives for the plebiscites, the decisions of the council Plebis, and later the Roman State Archives.