Nonae Iunoniae (5 June)

Because (Hercules') hands had purified the Earth, the Sabines of Cures called him Sancus, "The Holy One." Hail Father Sancus, whom austere Juno now favors. O Sancus, may You wish to be with me and Your spirit be in my books (Propertius 4.9.71-4).

The Temple of Semo Sancus (Dius Fidius), god of good faith in oaths, was vowed by Tarquinius Superbus and then dedicated on this date by Sp. Postumius on the Quirinal in 466 BCE. An earlier outdoor shrine of Semo Sancus was already on the Quirinal next to the Temple of Quirinus (Livy 8.20: sacullum Sancus). It was here that stood a statue of Gaia Caecilia, or Tanaquil, and where was stored Rome?s earliest known treaty, between Tarquinus Superbus and the Gabii. The decuria of sacerdotes bidentales, who were charged with attending to the shrines where lightning bolts had struck (puteales), appear to have had a special relation with Semo Sancus. Three votive altars are known to have been dedicated by the decuria to Semo Sancus, two near his Quirinal sacullum. Like Propertius, Aelius Stilo and Ovid (Fasti 6.213-18), among others, attribute Semo Sancus as a Sabine god brought to Rome by Numa Pompilius. Aelius Stilo also claimed that His Sabine name meant "Sky," by which Varro explained a special feature of His temple.

"The same thing the more ancient name of Jupiter shows even better, for of old He was called Diovis and Diespater; that is, dies pater (Day Father), from whence sub divo (under the sky) and Dius Fidius (God of Good Faith) is derived. Thus from this reason the roof of His temple is pierced with a hole, that in this way the divum, which is the caelum (sky), may be seen. Some say that it is improper to take an oath by His name when you are under a roof. Aelius (Stilo) said that Dius Fidius was a son of Diovis, just as the Greeks call Castor Dioskoron (Son of Zeus), and he thought that He was Sancus in the Sabine tongue and Hercules in Greek (Varro L. L. V.66)."


From the Nones until after the Vestalia, 5-15 June, no marriages were to be performed. The flamen and flamincia Dialis had to abstain from intercourse during this period and were under other restrictions that did not permit their appearance at confarreatio marriages rites. The flaminica Dialis did not comb down her hair or trim her nails in this period, until after QStDF on 15 June.


Ludi Saeculares

Lines 160-1: On the Nones of June (5 June 17 BCE), seven extra days of games were commenced: Plays in Latin were given in the wooden theatre; Greek shows in the theatre of Pompey; and Greek stage plays in the theatre which is in the Circus Flaminius.