DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13855#0288
PALILIA.
280
PALLIUM.
a place for wrestling (iraXaCeiv, 7raAi;), and
appears to have originally formed a part of
the gymnasium. At Athens, however, there
was a considerable numher of palaestrae,
quite distinct from the gymnasia. It appears
most probable that the palaestrae were
chiefly appropriated to the exercises of wrest-
ling and of the pancratium, and were prin-
cipally intended for the athletae, who, it
must be recollected, were persons that con-
tended in the public games, and therefore
needed special training. The Romans had
originally no places corresponding to the
Greek gymnasia and palaestrae; and when
towards the close of the republic wealthy
Romans, in imitation of the Greeks, began to
build places for exercise in their villas, they
called them indifferently gymnasia and pa-
laestrae.
PALILIA, a festival celebrated at Rome
every year on the 21st of April, in honour of
Pales, the tutelary divinity of shepherds.
The 21st of April was the day on which,
according to the early traditions of Rome,
Romulus had commenced the building of the
city, so that the festival was at the same
time solemnised as the dies natalitius of
Rome. It was originally a shepherd-festival,
and continued to be so among country people
till the latest times, but in the city it lost its
original character, and was only regarded as
the dies natalitius of Rome. The first part of
the solemnities was a public purification by
fire and smoke. The things burnt in order
to produce this purifying smoke were the
blood of the October-horse, the ashes of the
calves sacrificed at the festival of Ceres, and
the shells of beans. The people were also
sprinkled with water, they washed their
hands in spring-water, and drank milk mixed
with must. As regards the October-horse
[eguus October) it must be observed that in
early times no bloody sacrifice was allowed
to be offered at the palilia, and the blood of
the October-horse mentioned above, was the
blood which had dropped from the tail of the
horse sacrificed in the month of October to
Mars in the Campus Martius. This blood
was preserved by the vestal virgins in the
temple of Vesta for the purpose of being used
at the palilia. The sacrifices consisted of
cakes, millet, milk, and other kinds of eat-
ables. The shepherds then offered a prayer
to Pales. After these solemn rites were over,
the cheerful part of the festival began : bon-
fires were made of heaps of hay and straw,
and the festival was concluded by a feast in
the open air, at which the people sat or lay
upon benches of turf, and drank plentifully.
PALLIUM, dim. PALLIOLUM, poet.
PALLA (ifiaTioj/, dim. l^aTiSicv ■ Ton. and
poet. <f>apos), an outer garment. The English
cloak, though commonly adopted as the trans-
lation of these terms, conveys no accurate
conception of the form, material, or use of
that which they denoted. The article desig-
nated by them was always a rectangular
piece of cloth, exactly, or at least nearly
square. It was indeed used in the very form
in which it was taken from the loom, being
made entirely by the weaver, without any
aid from the tailor, except to repair the in-
juries which it sustained by time. Whatever
additional richness and beauty it received
from the art of the dyer, was bestowed upon
it before its materials were woven into cloth
or even spun into thread. Most commonly it
was used without having undergone any pro-
cess of this kind. The raw material, such as
wool, flax, or cotton, was manufactured in
its natural state, and hence pallia were com-
monly white, although from the same cause
brown, drab, and grey were also prevailing
colours. As the pallium was the most com-
mon outer garment, we find it continually
mentioned in conjunction with the tunica,
which constituted the indutus. Such phrases
as " coat and waistcoat," or " shoes and stock-
ings," are not more common with us than the
following expressions, which constantly occur
in ancient authors : tunica palliumque, Ip-aTcov
Kal to l^xartou Kal o ^tTwi/t'cTKO?, $apos
ijSe x<-Taji>, &c. To wear the pallium without
Pallium. (Museo Pio-Clement., vol. i. tav. 48.)
280
PALLIUM.
a place for wrestling (iraXaCeiv, 7raAi;), and
appears to have originally formed a part of
the gymnasium. At Athens, however, there
was a considerable numher of palaestrae,
quite distinct from the gymnasia. It appears
most probable that the palaestrae were
chiefly appropriated to the exercises of wrest-
ling and of the pancratium, and were prin-
cipally intended for the athletae, who, it
must be recollected, were persons that con-
tended in the public games, and therefore
needed special training. The Romans had
originally no places corresponding to the
Greek gymnasia and palaestrae; and when
towards the close of the republic wealthy
Romans, in imitation of the Greeks, began to
build places for exercise in their villas, they
called them indifferently gymnasia and pa-
laestrae.
PALILIA, a festival celebrated at Rome
every year on the 21st of April, in honour of
Pales, the tutelary divinity of shepherds.
The 21st of April was the day on which,
according to the early traditions of Rome,
Romulus had commenced the building of the
city, so that the festival was at the same
time solemnised as the dies natalitius of
Rome. It was originally a shepherd-festival,
and continued to be so among country people
till the latest times, but in the city it lost its
original character, and was only regarded as
the dies natalitius of Rome. The first part of
the solemnities was a public purification by
fire and smoke. The things burnt in order
to produce this purifying smoke were the
blood of the October-horse, the ashes of the
calves sacrificed at the festival of Ceres, and
the shells of beans. The people were also
sprinkled with water, they washed their
hands in spring-water, and drank milk mixed
with must. As regards the October-horse
[eguus October) it must be observed that in
early times no bloody sacrifice was allowed
to be offered at the palilia, and the blood of
the October-horse mentioned above, was the
blood which had dropped from the tail of the
horse sacrificed in the month of October to
Mars in the Campus Martius. This blood
was preserved by the vestal virgins in the
temple of Vesta for the purpose of being used
at the palilia. The sacrifices consisted of
cakes, millet, milk, and other kinds of eat-
ables. The shepherds then offered a prayer
to Pales. After these solemn rites were over,
the cheerful part of the festival began : bon-
fires were made of heaps of hay and straw,
and the festival was concluded by a feast in
the open air, at which the people sat or lay
upon benches of turf, and drank plentifully.
PALLIUM, dim. PALLIOLUM, poet.
PALLA (ifiaTioj/, dim. l^aTiSicv ■ Ton. and
poet. <f>apos), an outer garment. The English
cloak, though commonly adopted as the trans-
lation of these terms, conveys no accurate
conception of the form, material, or use of
that which they denoted. The article desig-
nated by them was always a rectangular
piece of cloth, exactly, or at least nearly
square. It was indeed used in the very form
in which it was taken from the loom, being
made entirely by the weaver, without any
aid from the tailor, except to repair the in-
juries which it sustained by time. Whatever
additional richness and beauty it received
from the art of the dyer, was bestowed upon
it before its materials were woven into cloth
or even spun into thread. Most commonly it
was used without having undergone any pro-
cess of this kind. The raw material, such as
wool, flax, or cotton, was manufactured in
its natural state, and hence pallia were com-
monly white, although from the same cause
brown, drab, and grey were also prevailing
colours. As the pallium was the most com-
mon outer garment, we find it continually
mentioned in conjunction with the tunica,
which constituted the indutus. Such phrases
as " coat and waistcoat," or " shoes and stock-
ings," are not more common with us than the
following expressions, which constantly occur
in ancient authors : tunica palliumque, Ip-aTcov
Kal to l^xartou Kal o ^tTwi/t'cTKO?, $apos
ijSe x<-Taji>, &c. To wear the pallium without
Pallium. (Museo Pio-Clement., vol. i. tav. 48.)