The Equirria (Festival of Mars - held on February 27, First Equirria and March 14, Second Equirria) were holy days with religious and military significance at either end of the new year celebrations for Mars. The Roman state placed great emphasis on celebrating the god of war - to support the army, and to boost public morale. Priests performed rites purifying of the army. Celebrants held horse races on the Campius Martius (field of Mars), and drove a scapegoat out of the city of Rome, expelling the old and bringing in the new. March 1 was the New Year in the Julian Calendar. Mars was the Roman god of war, the son of Juno and a magical flower (or Jupiter). ... February 27 is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... March 14 is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The Scapegoat by William Holman Hunt, 1854. ... March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). ... The Julian calendar was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar and came into force in 45 BC (709 ab urbe condita). ...

Equus October was a festival on 15 October (idus), in which the right hand horse of the winning pair of a race was sacrificed to Mars. The tail was rushed to the regia to have its blood drip on the hearth there. There was a traditional fight over its head between the inhabitants of the Subura who wanted it for the Turris Mamilia, and those of the Via Sacria who wanted it for the regia. October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... The Roman calendar changed its form several times in the time between the foundation of Rome and the fall of the Roman Empire. ... Regia in the Roman Forum The Regia is one of the oldest buildings at the Roman Forum. ... The Suburra is the modern Italian name for a neighborhood of Rome; in Antiquity, the word was usually spelled Subura, and was a red-light district. ... Regia in the Roman Forum The Regia is one of the oldest buildings at the Roman Forum. ...

See also

• Horse sacrifice