Myths Behind the Parilia

Ovid himself is not certain which myth should be accepted as the foundation of the Parilia.  He puts forth seven suggestions and leaves the reader to make up his own mind, though not without lending a certain amount of weight to one particular suggestion.

The first suggestion Ovid offers is that fire is a natural purifier.  This seems the most basic, relying simply on natural science.  The next suggestion is philosophic, that since everything is composed of opposing elements, so too is the Parilia made of fire and water.  The next suggestion too is philosophic, that fire and water contain the source of life.  The next explanation, which Ovid places the least credence on, and frankly admits so, relies on Greek mythology.  The Parilia may be an allusion to the myth of Phaethon and Deucalion's flood.  These two myths deal with the destructive powers of fire and water respectively.

Next Ovid explores the possibility of chance.  He suggests that while banging stones together, shepherds once ignited straw, and this is the source of the flame of the Parilia. After that, Ovid relies on Roman mythology and suggests that the flame is symbolic of the flame through which Aeneas leapt and passed unscathed because of his piety in the hour of the defeat of Troy.

The last explanation which Ovid offers, and lends his support to, is that when Rome was founded, those living there were ordered to burn their old houses after they transferred the household gods to the new houses.  Thus the people and their flocks leapt through the flames of their old houses, and were cleansed before they took up residence in their new houses in the newly founded Rome.

Ovid's support of this last explanation is very significant because it links the current festival with the direct history of Rome.  This was a very common trend in the late Republic and early Empire.  This would have coincided well with Augustus' attempts to make remodel his image to that of a new Romulus.  This also focuses attention on the fact that much of Roman religion is very centered on Rome, the place itself.  Ovid exploits this association of myth and place after his last explanation of the flame at the Parilia, and then recounts the story of the founding of Rome, as the festival itself also celebrates that occasion.

The myth, as told by Ovid, says that the twins, Romulus and Remus, had agreed to found the city.  To decide who would govern it, upon Romulus' suggestion they agreed to look for birds.  Atop the Aventine, Remus saw six birds, and on top of the Palatine, Romulus saw twelve, thus he was chosen to rule the new city.  Then on the day of the Parilia, Romulus marked out the boundaries of the city, what would later be the pomerium, with a plow.  An altar was erected and a hearth fire lit.  Romulus made a prayer that his new city would one day rule the whole of the earth.  Jupiter confirmed this with thunder, and there was much rejoicing.  Romulus then appointed Celer to kill any man that crossed the new boundaries.  Remus, mocking the low walls, leapt over them, and was straightway killed by Celer with a shovel.  Romulus then said "so fare the foe who shall cross my walls."  He later relented and accorded Remus funeral honors.  And from these humble beginnings Rome rose to greatness.
 
 
 
 

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