古代ローマにおける死者祭祀 : パレンタリア（Parentalia）祭考
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論文/ArticlesThe Parentalia was a festival for the dead in Ancient Rome held from 13th to 21st February. The Parentalia has been thought of as a festival dedicated to familiar ancestors, while the other festival for the dead, the Lemuria, has been regarded as a festival propitiating haunting spirits. However, our analysis of the Parentalia rituals clearly shows that they had a complex meaning and were not simply intended for the familiar dead but also for the far ancestors who were mythically connected to the foundation of the city.//The Parentalia rituals are detailed in Ovid’s Fasti, which provides a rich source of material regarding the festivals of Ancient Rome up to the early Empire. It used to be controversial to use Ovid’s Fasti as source material, for most of his narratives in it were considered fiction. Ovid does not dispute the plausibility of different narratives; on the contrary he merely juxtaposes stories contradicting each other. Such attitude of his made scholars claim that his narratives were irrational and untrustworthy. Recently, however, scholars have re-examined the work and discovered that a meticulous analysis of Ovid’s language would elucidate the characteristics of ancient Roman religion; i.e. it was common for Roman religion to juxtapose traditions contradicting each other. Rather than legitimacy, what was important for the Romans was how punctiliously and scrupulously they observed the ritual regulations. From this viewpoint, it is not surprising that Ovid simply juxtaposed contradicting stories.//Using Ovid, the details of the Parentalia become more vivid. The four festivals held during the nine days of the Parentalia, i.e. the Parentalia, the Lupercalia, the Quilinalia and the Feralia, suggest the connection between rituals and the historical city foundation myth. For example, even the seemingly private festival for the familiar dead, the Feralia, implies a connection with the city foundation myth through a magical ritual dedicated to the goddess Tacita, the mother of the twin deity Lares. Ancient calendar also supports the supposition that a Vestal virgin might have held a ritual concerning the Tarpeia legend during the Parentalia.//Thus, the rituals were occasionally connected with historical myths, namely the city foundation myth. To be reminded not only of the far ancestors of one’s clan, but also the common city foundation myth is one of the most effective ways to remember the past. An analysis of such complex meanings will shed light not only the essence of Roman festivals, but also on the features of Roman religion in general
- 2010-03-31
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