View source for Consus

{{short description|Ancient Roman god of grains}}
{{Ancient Roman religion}}

In [[Religion in ancient Rome|ancient Roman religion]], the god '''Consus''' was the protector of grains. He was represented by a grain seed.<ref name=Colchester-2014-12-12/> His [[Altar of Consus|altar]] ''([[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#ara|ara]])''<ref name=Lipka-2009/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 42}} was located at the first ''meta'' of the [[Circus Maximus]].<ref name=Aldington-Ames-1968/> It was either underground, or according to other sources, covered with earth, which was swept off during the two [[Consualia]], his festivals on August&nbsp;21,<ref name=EB1911/> December&nbsp;15,<ref name=EB1911/><ref name=Colchester-2014-12-12/> and on July&nbsp;7 when the pontiffs held a sacrifice there.<ref name=Tertullian-V-7/> He was thus a [[chthonic]] god.<ref name=Lipka-2009/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 42}}

The ''[[Flamen Quirinalis]]'' and the [[Vestals]] officiated at his rites.{{refn|Lipka (2009),<ref name=Lipka-2009/>{{rp|style=ama|page=57}} who cites [[Tertullian]].<ref name=Tertullian-V-7/>}}

== Etymology ==
The [[etymology]] of the name ''Consus'' is uncertain. It may be of [[Etruscan language|Etruscan]] or [[Sabine language|Sabine]] origin. In the [[folk etymology]] of antiquity,<ref name=delBello-2007/> the name was related to the Latin verb ''conserere'', "to sow," as was the title of the goddess [[Ops]] as ''Consivia'' or ''Consiva''.

The [[Roman Republic|late Republican]] theologian [[Varro]] said that the Consualia were named for Consus.<ref name=Varro-consualia/> [[Georges Dumézil|G. Dumézil]]<ref name=Dumézil-1977/> and G. Capdeville<ref name=Capdeville-1973/> consider verb ''condere'',<ref name=EB1911/> "to store", to be the best etymology: ''Consus'' would be an archaic verbal noun denoting the action of storing grain.

Capdeville states that ''Consus'' cannot be related to ''conserere'' and adjective ''consivius'', and advances the hypothesis that ''condere'' might have to be taken in the meaning of "to found" or "establish".<ref name=Capdeville-1973/><ref name=Capdeville-1993/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 177, note&nbsp;140}}

Ancient sources, [[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]] included, were very fond of the similar sound of ''Consus'' and ''consilium'', and allegorically interpreted his name<ref name=delBello-2007/> as relating to "council" or "assembly" (''consilium'').
Moreover, [[Tertullian]] reports that on one of the ''metae'' of the [[circus maximus]] an inscription read: "''Consus consilio, Mars duello, Lares coillo po[tentes]''".<ref name=Tertullian-V-7/> which may be archaic  considering ''co[v]illo'' and external factors. This is close to "hide" too cf. ''abdere, (abs)condere''. This derivation is certain, but on the other hand, as de&nbsp;Vaan<ref>{{cite book |author=de&nbsp;Vaan, M. |title=Etymological Dictionary of Latin and Italic Languages |place=Leyden |year=2010 |at=s.v.}}</ref> writes on the etymology of ''consilium'', it is very uncertain whence comes the head word, ''consulere-solere'', although very probably not from ''con-sideo''.

==Function and associations==
The festivals of Ops ([[Opiconsivia]] or [[Opalia]]) followed Consus' closely, being held every August&nbsp;25 and December&nbsp;19, at the time of reaping and the seeding of crops.

Consus became a god associated with secret conferences. The grammarian [[Maurus Servius Honoratus|Servius]] says that Consus is the god of councils.<ref name=Servius/> This fact stems from the role played by Consus in the abduction of the Sabine women, which took place on the occasion of the ''Consualia aestiva'' and was considered to have been advised by the god himself.
This power of hidden counselling held by Consus seems to be related to the concept expressed by Dionysius and Plutarch that he is the "holder" of the Earth, an idea that makes of him a parallel to [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]].

So although it is certain that ''condere'' and ''consulere'' are from two different roots, it looks the character of Consus as hidden master of the Earth was at the basis of the identification with [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]], as well as the strict affinity of the two gods with the horse.

According to G. Capdeville, it was a customary event that games were held at the foundation of a new settlement. These were connected with rituals that included athletic games such as footraces and marriage games along with invitations to settle in the new town: He mentions the instances of [[Caeculus]] at [[Praeneste]] and other settlements in Crete ([[Dreros]], [[Hierapytna]], [[Praisos]], [[Lyttos]], [[Knossos]]). These events all had a religious meaning. In Crete, as well as in Rome, it looks like the god involved was Vulcan ({{math|Bελχάνος}}), i.e. the [[Zeus#Zeus Velchanos|Cretan ''megas Kouros'']], later interpreted as [[Zeus]]. In Rome the relationship of Vulcan with Consus is apparent in the dates of their festivals and the fact that the ''flamen volcanalis'' officiated at the [[Calends]] of May the sacrifice to [[Bona Dea]].

Consus is perhaps to be identified with "Equestrian Neptune" (''[[Neptunus Equestris]]'').<ref name=EB1911/> Mule or horse races were the main event of the festival.<ref name=Aldington-Ames-1968/> During the festival horses and mules were garlanded with flowers, and given a rest from work.<ref name=Aldington-Ames-1968/> This fact is ascribed by Capdeville to the fact that [[Poseidon]] was the successor of the unknown god of the Arcadian Hippocrateia mentioned by [[Dionysius of Halicarnassus]], who himself was perhaps the successor of a horse god.<ref name=Capdeville-1993/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 178, note&nbsp;141}} A close connection of Consus with the two [[Pales]] and of both with the horse looks apparent.{{refn|Capdeville (1993)<ref name=Capdeville-1993/>{{rp|style=ama|page= 180, note&nbsp;149}} also citing<br/>{{cite journal |author=Dumézil, G. |author-link=Georges Dumézil |title={{grey|[article on the mare Viśpala of the RgVeda]}} |journal=Eranos |year=1956}}{{full citation|date=September 2022}} }}

== References ==
{{reflist|25em|refs=

<ref name=Aldington-Ames-1968>
{{cite book
 |author1=Aldington, Richard
 |author2=Ames, Delano
 |year=1968
 |title=New Larousse Encyclopedia of Mythology
 |place=Yugoslavia
 |publisher=The Hamlyn Publishing Group Limited
 |page=209
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Capdeville-1973>
{{cite journal
 |author=Capdeville, G.
 |year=1973
 |title=Les épithètes cultuelles de Janus
 |journal=MEFRA
 |volume=85 |issue=2 |page=434
|doi=10.3406/mefr.1973.953
 }}
</ref>

<ref name=Capdeville-1993>
{{cite book
 |author=Capdeville, G.
 |year=1993
 |title=Jeux athletiques et rituels de fondation
 |series=Publications de l' École Française de Rome
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Colchester-2014-12-12>
{{cite web
 |title=The festival of Consus
 |date=12 December 2014
 |website=The Colchester Archaeologist
 |url=https://www.thecolchesterarchaeologist.co.uk/?p=16928
 |access-date=12 September 2021
}}
</ref>

<ref name=delBello-2007>
{{cite book
 |first=Davide |last=del&nbsp;Bello
 |year=2007
 |title=Forgotten Paths: Etymology and the allegorical mindset
 |publisher=Catholic University of America Press
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Dumézil-1977>
{{cite book
 |author=Dumézil, G. |author-link=Georges Dumézil
 |year=1977
 |title=La religione romana arcaica
 |trans-title=The Ancient Roman Religion
 |place=Milano, IT
 |page=241
}}
</ref>

<ref name=EB1911>
{{cite EB1911
 |wstitle=Consus
 |volume=7 |page=23
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Lipka-2009>
{{cite book
 |first=Michael |last=Lipka
 |year=2009
 |title=Roman Gods: A conceptual approach
 |publisher=Brill
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Servius>
{{cite book
 |author=[[Servius (grammarian)|Maurus Servius Honoratus]]
 |title=In Vergilii Aeneidem commentarii
 |trans-title=Commentary on [[Virgil]]'s ''[[Aeneid]]''
 |at=8.636
 |quote=''Consus autem deus est consiliorum.''
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Tertullian-V-7>
{{cite book
 |author=[[Tertullian]]
 |title=[[De Spectaculis]]
 |at=V 7
}}
</ref>

<ref name=Varro-consualia>
{{cite book
 |author=[[Varro]]
 |title=[[De Lingua Latina]]
 |trans-title=On the Latin Language
 |at=6.20
 |quote=''Consualia dicta a Consus'' [the ''Consualia'' were named for ''Consus'']
}}
</ref>

}} <!-- end "refs=" -->

{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Agricultural gods]]
[[Category:Roman gods]]
[[Category:Horse deities]]