Monday, August 01, 2005

Ante Diem IV Nonas August

Modern Date : August 2nd

Ante Diem IV Nonas August
Fourth Day to the Nones of August

This is one of the dies fasti on which legal actions are permitted.

On this day in 216 BCE, the Romans suffered a crushing defeat by Hannibal at Cannae. Some 50,000 of their best soldiers were killed and Rome lost control of most of Italy, becoming virtually under seige in their own city. Becuase of this catastrophe, this day was forever considered ill-omened.

In 49 BCE this day, Julius Caesar defeated Pompey's generals Afranius and Petreius at Lerida in Spain.

In 47 BCE this day, Julius Caesar defeated Pharnaces at Zela and uttered the phrase "Veni, vidi, vici."

In 461 AD, Marjorian was attacked and captured near Tortona by Ricimer's armed retainers, who behaeded him five days later, leaving Ricimer virtual ruler of the western Roman empire..

On this night the constellation Lyra reaches its culmination, or highest point in the sky, about 10 pm. Lyra was ancinet even to the Greeks, who recognized its' shape as distinctly that of a lyre, with a crossbeem for the strings and a tortoise-shell body. It rises in the northeast part of the sky for northern observers, and it heralded the arrival of spring to the ancients. Because of progression it now hearlds the fall.

August was originally called Sextilis, or the sixth month (after March). It was renamed in honor of Augustus Caesar, the most revered of the Roman emperors.


Festival of Synokia
The ancient Greeks celebrate the festival of Synokia, affirming the importance of peace and cooperation among city-states and their peoples.


Feast of the Virgin of Angels
The Virgin of the Angels is the patroness of Costa Rica. Pilgrims travel to her basilica in Cartago, where is she represented by a black stone called La Negrita (the dark one).


Henry Steele Olcott
Birthday (1832) of Henry Steele Olcott, co-founder with Helena Blavatsky of the Theosophical Society.

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