Hail Janus!
Hail Juno!
Hail to the lares compitales!
Hail to the Victories!
Hail Mars Ultor!
Hail to Hope!
Assist us at these crossroads of the year!
May we make the correct choices!
Salve Iane!
Salve Iuno!
Salve lares compitales!
Salve Victoriae!
Salve Marte Ultor!
Salve Spes!

 

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The shrine to Spes as the personification of hope was to be found in the vegetable-market (the forum holitorius). Temples to Mars Ultor and the Victories were also dedicated on this day. Ovid informs us that the day is sacred to the lares compitales, the lares ‘lords’ of the compita or cross-ways. Their inclusion along with that of Mars is reminiscent of the connection of an earth-figure with the celestial Juno that we find with the Kalends of March, April, May and June.

In the Celtic calendar, the first of August is the Lughnasadh, the Celtic harvest quarter-festival. In the Roman calendar, the significance of the day is muted and deferred to the festival sequence that dominates the second half of the month.