Daily Life
The time for Lupercalia was drawing near, and all of
Rome buzzed with excitement. The sun was
fresh in the sky on the eve of the festival, but despite the upcoming
festivities, there was still much to be done for his own household. Lucius checked the calendar to be sure; yes,
it was his day to go to market to fetch items for the evening’s special events
among his family. Julia was soon to be
married, as arranged by her father, and this of course called for
celebration. As he approached the door
to leave, he saw Julia at the foot of the stairs, almost as though she was
waiting for him. Wanting to get out of
the house, she offered to accompany him to the market. He knew it was hardly a good idea, but he was
so surprised by her presence at such an early hour that he could not tell her
otherwise. Mentally listing the items he needed to purchase once they reached
the market, Julia began to talk about her excitement for the festival
tomorrow. It was one of her favorite
times of the year. In expressing her
utter delight, she unknowingly explained the history and importance of the
festival; about King Romulus, the significance of sacrifice to the gods to
thank them for the past prosperity and success of Rome, and to cleanse the
state to further extend that prosperity.
It was the sense of unity that flowed through Rome during Lupercalia
that she loved. Everyone was together,
celebrating, dining, and drinking to great things of the past and to come. Watching her speak so animatedly about the
festival, he could not help but laugh to himself. He of course already knew these things. He was going to miss her, their friendship, everything. He jokingly asked her if she would be among
the countless other women waiting to be struck with the februa, to ensure
fertility as she embarks on marriage. All
excitement drained from her face, and she grew quiet. Lucius realized that in all the distractions
of the Lupercalia, he did not know how Julia felt about her arranged marriage. His comments clearly upset her, and he now
knew her feelings about the matter. With
disappointment in her eyes, she only told him her joining him was a
mistake. She turned to leave, disappearing
among the others emerging to take care of early morning business. With a deep feeling of regret, Lucius had no
choice but to continue on towards the market as planned.
-Elizabeth Reed
