Bellona
Bellona, the goddess of war, sister of Mars
- the goddess of war, sister of Mars, whose temple, built by Appius Claudius Caecus (Inscr. Orell. 539). in the ninth district of the city, was situated not far from the Circus Maximus, Publ. Vict. Descr. Urb.—A place of assemblage for the Senate for proceedings with persons who were not allowed entrance into the city, Liv. 26, 21, 1; 28, 9, 5; 30, 21, 12 al.; Verg. A. 8, 703; Hor. S. 2, 3, 223: Bellona dicebatur dea bellorum, ante cujus templum erat columella, quae Bellica vocabatur, super quam hastam jaciebant, cum bellum indicebatur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 33 Müll.; cf. Ov. F. 6, 201 sq.; Serv. ad Verg. A. 9, 53: cos. SENATVM. CONSOLVERVNT. N. OCTOB. APVD. AEDEM. DVELONAI., S. C. Bacch., v. Append.; Plaut. Am. prol. 43; Ov. M. 5, 155; Sen. Herc. Oet. 1313; Claud. in Prob. et Olybr. Cons. 121; id. in Ruf. 1, 342; 2, 263; id. IV. Cons. Hon. 12; Eutr. 1, 314; 2, 110; 2, 145; Claud. Laud. Stil. 2, 371; id. B. Get. 34; 466; Petr. 124, 256; Inscr. Orell. 1903; 2316. Her priests (turba entheata Bellonae, Mart. 12, 57, 11: Bellōnārii, ōrum, Acron. ad Hor. S. 2, 3, 223 dub.) and priestesses were accustomed, in their mystic festivals. especially on the 20th of March (hence dies sanguinis, Treb. Claud. 6; cf. Inscr. Orell. 2318), to gash their arms and shoulders with knives, and thus to offer their blood, Tib. 1, 6, 45 sq.; Juv. 4, 123; Luc. 1, 565; Tert. Apol. 9; Lact. 1, 21, 16; Min. Fel. Oct. 30, 5.
Bellona ferox infecit corda venenis
~a, furia, dea belli, ‥wælcyrge
bella fremunt, Bellona tuba, Mars intonat ense
hii ‥ milites plures erant Veneris quam ~e
beeldam, moders modyr , ~a
~a,wylfen , ‥ †ia,wilde deor
➳ arch. Duellona.
- bellum, the goddess of war, sister of Mars, L., V., H., O.
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…ad iudicium decederet, ne illam quidem infamiam fugerit quam sine ulla voluptate capiebat O divina senatus frequentis in aede Bellonae admurmuratio memoria tenetis, iudices, cum advesperasceret et paulo ante esset de hoc Tempsano incommodo nuntiatum, cum inveniretur…
Cicero, in Verrem
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…praevidens mente, professa palam defectione, se tutiorem fore existimavit, incertusque de militum fide, placata ritu secretiore Bellona, classico ad contionem exercitu convocato, saxeo suggestu insistens, iamque ut apparebat fidentior haec clarius solito disserebat Iam…
Ammianus Marcellinus, Rerum Gestarum
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…certamine Mavors caelatus ferro tristesque ex aethere Dirae, et scissa gaudens vadit Discordia palla, quam cum sanguineo sequitur Bellona flagello. Actius haec cernens arcum tendebat Apollo desuper omnis eo terrore Aegyptus et Indi, omnis Arabs, omnes…
Vergil, Aeneid
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…veneno in medios torsit ; conversae protinus hastae. qualis ubi attonitos maestae Phrygas annua Matris ira vel exsectos lacerat Bellona comatos, haud secus accensas subito Medea cohortes implicat et miseros agit in sua proelia fratres omnis ibi Aesoniden sterni…
C. Valerius Flaccus , Argonautica
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…acuitque tubas et sibila miscet Tisiphone stupet insolito clangore Cithaeron marcidus et turres carmen non tale secutae, iam trepidas Bellona fores armataque pulsat limina, iam multo laxantur cardine Thebae. turbat eques pedites, currus properantibus obstant, ceu…
Statius, P. Papinius, Thebais
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…Ossa Tonantem. Tunc vero attoniti fatorum in cardine summo, ceu suprema lues urbi facibusque cruentis aequatura solo turres Bellona subiret, omnibus e tectis certatim ingentia saxa roboraque et validas fundae Balearis habenas nam iaculis caeloque vagis spes unde…
Statius, P. Papinius, Thebais
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…, eum fracta impulsaque fatis consilia et tandem miseri data copia belli, prima manu rutilam de vertice Larissaco ostendit Bellona facem dextraque trabalem hastam intorsit agens, liquido quae stridula caelo fugit et Aoniae celso stetit aggere Dirces. mox…
Statius, P. Papinius, Thebais
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…degustatum est. Aiunt et apud quosdam gentiles Scytharum defunctum quemque a suis comedi. Longe excurro. Hodie istic Bellonae sacratus sanguis de femore proscisso in palmulam exceptus et esui datus signat. Item illi qui munere in arena noxiorum…
Tertullian, Apologeticum
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…dedit in praeceps impia quas non arma fatigant iura pudorque et coniugii sacrata fides fugiunt aulas ; sequitur tristis sanguinolenta Bellona manu quaeque superbos urit Erinys, nimias semper comitata domos, quas in planum quaelibet hora tulit ex alto .…
Seneca, Agamemnon
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…. his quoque mox fusis iam a uictoribus castra oppugnabantur ; et cum Uolumnius ipse portae signa inferret, Appius Bellonam uictricem identidem celebrans accenderet militum animos, per uallum, per fossas inruperunt. castra capta direptaque ; praeda ingens…
Livy, ab Urbe Condita
(1) The Roman goddess of war, in early Latin called Duellona. An old Italian divinity, probably of Sabine origin. She was supposed to be the wife or sister of Mars, and was identified with the Greek Enyo (Ἐνυώ). Her temple, which was situated in the Campus Martius, outside the old Pomerium, was used for meetings of the Senate when it was dealing with the ambassadors of foreign nations, or Roman generals who claimed a triumph on their return from war, for it must be remembered that under such circumstances a general might not enter the city. The pillar of war (Columna Bellica) stood hard by. It was from this, as representing the boundary of the enemy's territory, that the Fetialis threw his lance on declaring war. See Fetiales.
(2) Quite a different goddess is the Bellona whom the Roman government brought from Comana in Cappadocia towards the beginning of the first century B.C., during the Mithridatic War. This Bellona was worshipped in a different locality, and with a service conducted by Cappadocian priests and priestesses. These Bellonarii moved through the city in procession at the festivals of the goddess, in black raiment, and shed their own blood at the sacrifice, wounding themselves for the purpose in the arms and loins with a two-edged axe, and prophesying amid a wild noise of drums and trumpets.