CONSUS, ARA
an altar of Consus, an Italic deity of agriculture and the
underworld, whose cult was one of the most ancient in the city and
localised in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine. It was perhaps
dedicated on 1st January, under which date it appears to be mentioned
in Fast. Ant. ap.
NS 1921, 83. When the circus Maximus finally occupied
the entire valley, the altar was near the primae metae, that is, at the
south-east end of the permanent spina (Varro,
LL vi. 20;
Dionys. ii. 3 :
βωμὸς Κώνσου; Tert. de spect. 5. 8). It is named by Tacitus (
Ann. xii. 24)
as one of the corners of the Palatine
POMERIUM (q.v.). This altar was
underground, and covered except at festivals (7th July, 21st August,
15th December), when it was exposed and sacrifices offered on it (Varro,
loc. cit.; Serv.
Aen. viii. 636; Plut. Rom. 14; Tert. loc. cit.; HJ 114,
141;
Rosch. i. 924-927; WR 166-167; cf. B. Soc. Ant.
Fr. 1917, 165-168;
AJA 1919, 430, for the position of the altars of Consus at Arles and Dougga).
For a theory that the primae metae and the shrine of
MURCIA (q.v.)
were at the north-west end of the carceres, and that a brick receptacle,
discovered in 1825, may have enclosed the ara Consi, see
BC 1908, 250-252;
Me1. 1908, 279).