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Why on the festival called Septimontium1
were they careful to refrain from the use of horsedrawn vehicles ; and why even to this day are those
who do not contemn ancient customs still careful
about this? The festival Septimontium they observe in commemoration of the addition to the city
of the seventh hill, by which Rome was made a city
of seven hills.
[p. 107]
Is it, as some of the Roman writers conceive, because the city had not yet been completely joined
together in all its parts?
Or has this ‘nothing to do with Dionysus’
2? But
did they imagine, when their great task of consolidation had been accomplished, that the city had now
ceased from further extension ; and they rested
themselves, and gave respite to the pack-animals,
which had helped them in their labours, and afforded
the animals an opportunity to enjoy the general
festival with no work to do?
Or did they wish that the presence of the citizens
should adorn and honour every festival always, and,
above all, that one which was held in commemoration
of the consolidation of the city? Wherefore in
order that they might not leave the City, in whose
honour the festival was being held, it was not permitted to make use of vehicles on that day.
1 On this festival see J. B. Carter, American Journal of Archaeology (2nd Series), xii. pp. 172 ff.; H. Last in the Cambridge Ancient History, vol. vii. pp. 355 ff.
2 ‘Nothing to do with the case’: cf. Moralia, 615 a, and Lucian, Dionysus, 5, with Harmon's note (L.C.L. vol. i. p. 55); see also Moralia 388 e and 612 e.
Plutarch. Moralia. with an English Translation by. Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. 4.
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