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In ancient Roman religion, the Salii () were the "leaping priests" (from the verb ''salio'', to leap/jump) of Mars supposed to have been introduced by King Numa Pompilius.〔Livy, ''Ab urbe condita'', 1:20〕 They were twelve patrician youths, dressed as archaic warriors: an embroidered tunic, a breastplate, a short red cloak (''paludamentum)'', a sword, and a spiked headdress called an apex. They were charged with the twelve bronze shields called ''ancilia'', which like the Mycenaean shield resembled a figure eight. One of the shields was said to have fallen from heaven in the reign of King Numa, and eleven copies were made to protect the identity of the sacred shield, on the advice of the nymph Egeria, 'consort' of Numa, who prophesied that wherever that shield was preserved the people would be the dominant people of the earth. Each year in March the Salii made a procession round the city, dancing, and singing the ''Carmen Saliare''. Ovid, who relates the story of Numa and the heavenly ancile in his ''Fasti'' (3.259–392), found the hymn and the Salian rituals outdated and hard to understand. During the Principate, by decree of the Senate, Augustus' name was inserted into the song (''Res Gestae'' 10). They ended the day by banqueting. ''Saliaris cena'' became proverbial for a sumptuous feast.〔There is no single standing description of the Salii's rituals throughout the month of March from one of the ancient authors, and facts have to be reconstructed from multiple mentions in diverse works; however there are strong indications that the procession may actually have lasted a full 24 days, from March 1st which opened the festival till March 24th which closed it, with the procession moving from one station to another each day, and some revelling being held each evening; a very complete assessment in : A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. William Smith, LLD. William Wayte. G. E. Marindin. Albemarle Street, London. John Murray. 1890 (online )〕 King Tullus Hostilius is said to have established another collegium of Salii in fulfilment of a vow which he made in the second war with Fidenae and Veii.〔Livy, ''Ab urbe condita'', 1:27〕 These Salii were also twelve in number, chosen from the patricians, and appeared to have been dedicated to the service of Quirinus. They were called the Salii Collini, Agonales, or Agonenses.〔William Smith's (''Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'' ), "Salii". John Murray, London, 1875.〕 It is unclear whether the primary aim of the ritual was to protect Rome's army, although this is the traditional view. ==Founder== In addition to the myth of the ''ancile'', several other explanations are offered in Greek and Latin sources for the founding of the priesthood. An origin among the Etruscans is attributed to a founding by Morrius, king of Veii. The Salii are also given an origin in connection with Dardanus and the Samothracian Penates, or the Salius who came to Italy with Evander and in the ''Aeneid'' competed in the funeral games of Anchises.〔Joseph Rykwert, ''The Idea of a Town: The Anthropology of Urban Form in Rome, Italy and the Ancient World'' (MIT Press, 1988), p. 96.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Salii」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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