Shown here is a carved relief of the Ancient Roman goddess known as Bona Dea. Usually she holds a cornucopia in one hand and a bowl in the other from which snakes feed. These attributes demonstrate her role in fertility, for which she was worshipped throughout the Roman centuries — mainly by women of all social classes. In two holidays throughout the year, women-only gatherings were held in her honor, piquing both curiosity and jealousy among men. On one occasion, a man named Clodius tried to crash one of the parties, and only evaded execution for his violation because of his aristocratic connections. The misanthropic satirist Juvenal greatly mistrusted the Bona Dea festivities, since in his eyes women oughtn’t to have been allowed to celebrate and drink wine by themselves. In his sixth satire, he writes: “Well known are the mysteries of the Good Goddess, when the flute stirs the loins and the “Maedads of Priapus” (aka the female attendees) sweep along, frenzied alike by the horn-blowing and the wine, whirling their locks and howling. What foul longings burn within their breasts! What cries they utter as the passion palpitates within! How drenched their limbs in torrents of old wine!” The second photo shows the modern Bona Dea, Lizzo. I bet Juvenal wouldn’t have liked her, either.
Source(s): Juvenal translation by GG Ramsay. juvenal_satires_06.
