Mater Matuta

Mater Matuta was an indigenous Latin goddess, whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the dawn goddess Aurora, and the Greek goddess Eos.[1] Her cult is attested several places in Latium; her most famous temple was located at Satricum. In Rome she had a temple on the north side of the Forum Boarium, allegedly built by Servius Tullius, destroyed in 506 B.C., and rebuilt by Marcus Furius Camillus in 396 B.C.,[2] and she was also associated with the sea harbors and ports, where there were other temples to her.

Mother goddess seated in a wicker chair and nursing an infant, sometimes identified as Mater Matuta (Roman Britain, 2nd century AD)

Another remarkable place of worship was located in Campania region, outside of the modern Capua. Dozens of ritual statues representing matres matutae were found in the so-called "fondo Patturelli" (a private land property) during excavation campaigns in the 19th century.[3] An extensive collection of these is hosted in the Museo Campano, Capua.[4]

Matralia

At Rome her festival was the Matralia, celebrated on June 11 in her temple at the Forum Boarium. The festival was only for single women or women in their first marriage, who offered prayers for their nephews and nieces, and then drove a slave out of the temple.[5]

See also

References
  1. Marcus Tullius Cicero, De Natura Deorum, II, 48.
  2. Titus Livius, Ab Urbe Condita Libri, V, 14.
  3. George Kazantzidis and Dimos Spatharas (2018). Ancient Emotions I. Hope in Ancient Literature, History, and Art. Walter de Gruyter. p. 311.
  4. The Mothers (Rooms V-VI-VII-VIII-IX), Museo Campano Capua. Retrieved March 13, 2020.
  5. Plutarch, Quaestiones Romanae, 16.

Further reading
  • Desport, Marie. "Matuta, l'Aurore chez Évandre". In: Revue des Études Anciennes. Tome 49, 1947, n°1-2. pp. 111-129. [DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rea.1947.3366] ; [www.persee.fr/doc/rea_0035-2004_1947_num_49_1_3366]
  • Flacelière, R. Deux rites du culte de « Mater Matuta », Plutarque, Camille, 5, 2.. In: Revue des Études Anciennes. Tome 52, 1950, n°1-2. pp. 18-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/rea.1950.3415; www.persee.fr/doc/rea_0035-2004_1950_num_52_1_3415
  • Kaizer, Ted. Leucothea as Mater Matuta at Colonia Berytus. A note on local mythology in the Levant and the Hellenisation of a Phoenician city. In: Syria. Tome 82, 2005. pp. 199-206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/syria.2005.8691 ; www.persee.fr/doc/syria_0039-7946_2005_num_82_1_8691
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