EQUI´RRIA
EQUI´RRIA or ECURRIA, a
festival at which there were horse-races, said to have been instituted by
Romulus in honour of Mars, in the Campus Martius. (Festus, s.v. Varro,
L. L. 6.13, Müller.) There were two festivals of
this name; of which one was celebrated
a. d. iii. Cal. Mart.,
and the other
prid. Id. Mart. (Ovid,
Ov. Fast. 2.859, 3.519.) At a later date this
festival was called
Mamuralia, and a sacrifice was offered to
Mamurius (
Calend. Philocali). If the Campus Martius was
overflowed by the Tiber, the races took place on a part of the Mons Caelius,
which was called from that circumstance the Martialis Campus. (Paul. Diac.
pp. 81, 131, M.)
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