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''Ver sacrum'' ("sacred spring") is a religious practice of ancient Italic peoples, especially Sabines and their offshoot Samnites, concerning the deduction of colonies. It was of special interest to Georges Dumézil, according to whom the ''ver sacrum'' perpetuated prehistoric migration practices of Indo-Europeans to the end of the Iron Age and into the beginnings of history, when stable sedentary dwelling conditions had already become general. ==Religious meaning== The practice consisted in a vow ''(votum'') to the god Mars of the generation of offspring born in the spring of the following year to humans or cattle. Among the Sabines, this was the period from March 1 to April 30. The practise is related to that of ''devotio'' in Roman religion. It was customary to resort to it at times of particular danger or strife for the community. Some scholars believe that in earlier times ''devoted'' or vowed children were actually sacrificed, but later expulsion was substituted.〔e.g. Leonhard Schmitz in ''A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities'' William Smith ed. s.v. London 1875.〕 Dionysius of Halicarnassus states the practise of child sacrifice was one of the causes that brought about the fall of the Pelasgians in Italy. The human children who had been ''devoted'' were required to leave the community in early adulthood, at 20 or 21 years of age. They were entrusted to a god for protection, and led to the border with a veiled face. Often they were led by an animal under the auspices of the god. As a group, the youth were called ''sacrani'' and were supposed to enjoy the protection of Mars until they had reached their destination, expelled the inhabitants or forced them into submission, and founded their own settlement. The tradition is recorded by Festus,〔Fest. s.v. Ver Sacrum〕 Livy,〔Livy ''Ab Urbe Condita'' XXII 9, 10; XXXIV 44〕 Strabo,〔Strabo V p. 172〕 Sisenna,〔Sisenna ap. Non. XII, 18〕 Servius,〔Servius ''ad Aen.'' VII, 796〕 Varro, and Dionysius of Halicarnassus.〔Dyon. Hal. I, 16〕 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「ver sacrum」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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