Opiconsivia

Opiconsivia
Observed by	Ancient Romans
Type	Pagan, Historical
Date	25 August

On August 25, the Opiconsivia (or Opeconsiva or Opalia) Roman festival was held in honor of Ops, usually known as Opis, and sometimes as Opus.

Opiconsivia was another name of Opis. This name also was given to December 19, on which day the Opalia were celebrated, in her honor (some mention also August 10 and December 9). The Latin word consivia (or consiva) derives from conserere ("to sow"). Hence, the word Opiconsivia may be interpreted as meaning "the sowing of crops", since Ops ultimately means "crops" in the sense of "riches, goods". This word is also related to Consus, the male consort of Opis as "the seeder", who protected the harvested grain.

Opis was deemed a chthonic (underworld, inside the earth) goddess who made the vegetation grow. Since her abode was inside the earth, Ops was invoked by her worshipers while sitting, with their hands touching the ground, according to Macrobius (Saturnalia, I:10). Consus seems to be an alternate name of Saturn in the chthonic aspect as consort, since he is also held to be the husband of Ops.

Ops, the Earth Mother, was also considered the Great Mother of the Gods, and the Great Goddess. As such, Ops is a manifestation of Rhea, Cybele, Demeter, and so on, personifying the earth as the giver of all riches.

In Roman mythology, her consort, the god Consus, was the protector of grains and subterranean storage bins (silos), and as such was represented by a wheat seed. He became confused with the god of counsel because of the linguistic similarity, but is entirely distinct from that god. The festival of Consus, the Consualia, was celebrated twice a year: once on August 21, after the harvest, and once on December 15, after the sowing of crops was finished. The Consualia was instituted by Romulus, and commemorated the rape (and insemination) of the Sabine women by the Romans. Consus was eventually identified with Neptunus Equester, the alternative name and counterpart of Poseidon Hippios. Poseidon (Neptune) had been associated with the animal since archaic times.

The Opiconsivia festival was superintended by the Vestals and the Flamines of Quirinus, an early Sabine god said to be the deified Romulus. Quirinus was absorbed by, and included in, the first and earliest Capitoline Triad, along with Mars—then an agriculture god—and Jupiter. The main priestess at the regia wore a white veil, characteristic of the vestal virgins. A chariot race was performed in the Circus Maximus. Horses and mules, their heads crowned with chaplets made of flowers, also took part in the celebration.

Reference: H. H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (London: Thames and Hudson, 1981), 177-8, 181, 205, 207.