Today it is Dies Nefastus – the regular working day on which Romans may perform their routine, but it is not recommended to make final decisions, start new projects, sign the contracts or take voyages. Religious life goes with no specific restrictions on these days.
It is the 6th day before Kalendae Martiae.
It is the G nundial day, the 6th day before Nundinae – the market day this year.
Today Romans celebrate Regifugium (“Flight of the King”) or Fugalia (“Festival of the Flight”) was an annual religious festival that took place in ancient Rome every February 24 (Latin: a.d. VI Kal. Mart.). Varro and Ovid traced the observance to the flight of the last king of Rome, Tarquinius Superbus, in 510 BC. In his Fasti, Ovid offers the longest surviving account of the observance: Now I must tell of the flight of the King, six days from the end of the month. The last of the Tarquins possessed the Roman nation, an unjust man, but nevertheless strong in war. Plutarch holds that the rex sacrorum played as a substitute for the former king of Rome in various religious rituals. The rex held no civic or military role, but nevertheless was bound to offer a public sacrifice in the Comitia on this date. The “flight of the king” was the swift exit the proxy king was required to make from that place of public business. It may be that the two versions are to be reconciled by taking the “flight” of the rex sacrorum as a reenactment of the expulsion of Tarquinius.
ANNOUNCEMENT | Pontifical Declaration of Bissextile Day and Nundinal Letter Switch
Citizens of Nova Roma! Since the current year is a leap year according to the decree of the pontiffs, following the modern norms, one leap day is inserted. The leap day is a duplication of the previous day in terms of its character and nature, and it counts as exactly the same day. The leap day is inserted for tomorrow.
Today, when this announcement is made it is the a. d. VI Kalendas Martias (the sixth day before the Kalends of March: 24 February). Consequently, tomorrow (25 Feb.) is called as a. d. bis VI Kalendas Martias, and tomorrow counts within the sacra publica and the Roman calendar as a duplication of this sixth day: tomorrow is “bissextile day,” i.e. “twice the sixth day.”
The nundinal letter for this year until today (24 Feb.) was E, nundinae were to be celebrated on each E day in the calendar.
Due to the leap year and the bissextile day, in order to keep the 8-day Roman week cycle, our nundinal cycle, in the name of the pontifices I declare that the nundinal letter will change to D tomorrow (Feb. 25).
The complete nundinal lettering recorded for this year’s calendar is to be ED, marking the nundinal letter switch.
After tomorrow, the next nundinae are to be celebrated on every D day.
Valete in pace deorum!
Cn. Cornelius Lentulus
PONTIFEX
