IUVENTAS, AEDICULA
(
βωμός, Dionys.):
a shrine within the cella of Minerva
in the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus (Plin.
NH xxxv. 108;
Dionys.
iii. 69). According to tradition Iuventas, as well as Terminus, had
refused to allow her cult, already established there, to be removed from
its site when the temple of Jupiter was built, and therefore it was preserved within that structure (
Liv. v. 54. 7; Flor. i. I. 7; Dionys. loc. cit.;
Aug. de civ. dei iv. 23). The introduction of Iuventas into this legend
that of the founder.
is, however, of later date than that of Terminus. In early times the
offering made by Roman youths on assuming the toga virilis (Plin.
NH
xxix. 57) was probably made in this shrine, a custom afterwards transferred to the temple of
IUVENTAS (q.v.) in the circus Maximus (
Jord. i. 2.
91;
Rosch. ii. 764;
iii. 2156; WR 135 ;
Gilb. ii. 422 ;
RE iii. 1532; X.
1360-1).
