Abstract
The lustration of fields in Augustan times according to literary sources. Significant discrepancies can be found between the information given in Augustan texts about the “lustration of fields”, and the precise description of the rite in Cato’s De Agricultura (§ 141), a century and a half earlier. The deities invoked, the nature of the sacrifices, and the number of participants do not tally. However, the only texts from the Augustan corpus concerning the lustration of fields are six excerpts from poems, which leads us to believe that the differences are more likely to result from the Augustan poets’ desire to adapt the rite to their own conception of agrarian religion, rather than from changes having occurred in the rite itself, or from a faulty knowledge of agrarian lustration rites.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
