Compitalia

As compitum (Latin, plural compita ) were referred in ancient times a crossroads, ie an intersection of three or more ways. At the crossroads, a Laren Shrine ( lares compitales ) was a cult niche for each of the residents. This shrine was referred to as compitum.

The cult celebrations at the shrine was called Compitalien ( Compitalia ). They were originally an old country- winter festival that was celebrated in late December / early January as a celebration of familia with a common meal and wine. On the night before or after the Compitalien a ball of wool was for every outdoor relatives of the familia a wool doll and for each slave hung in the cult niche. In addition to victims and games were held.

The Compitalien were also celebrated in cities, namely at the intersection points of the insulae. The Compitalien developed, especially in the urban environment to a feast, which was celebrated mainly by servants and slaves. The games at the Compitalien were aligned by the magistri vicorum, who had the right to take this opportunity to wear the toga praetexta. In the Festival Committee, the collegia compitalicia, especially freedmen and slaves joined together. 68 BC, these colleges have been banned as a politically active associations. Also, the games were banned. It was one of Cicero brought against Lucius Piso points that Piso had the holding of games allowed again. Apparently, the parties themselves were but further held.

In the time of the Civil War, the celebrations do not seem to have been held. As part of the reforms of Augustus and the worship of the lares compitales was reorganized and become part of the imperial state cult. With the implementation of the freedmen to be recruited Augustals were commissioned. This Augustals are not to be confused with the Sodales Augustales, was the object of the cult of the deified emperor and who came from the highest levels.

In imperial times the original one-day Compitalien were on a three day festival. The date seems to have been not well-defined. According to Dionysius of Halicarnassus, it was shortly after the Saturnalia instead, Cicero called as the date the Kalends of January, ie January 1, elsewhere but the 2nd of January ( 4 days before the Nones ).