# Opiconsivia

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Roman religious festival

For the genus of sea snail, see [Opalia (gastropod)](/source/Opalia_(gastropod)).

Opiconsivia Observed by Roman Republic, Roman Empire Type Classical Roman religion Date 25 August

The **Opiconsivia** (or **Opeconsiva** or **Opalia**) was an [ancient Roman religious festival](/source/Roman_festival) held August 25 in honor of [Ops](/source/Ops) ("Plenty"),[1] also known as Opis, a goddess of agricultural resources and wealth. The festival marked the end of harvest, with a mirror festival on December 19 (during [Saturnalia](/source/Saturnalia)) concerned with the storage of the grain.[2]

The Latin word *consivia* (or *consiva*) derives from *conserere* ("to sow"). Opis was deemed a [chthonic](/source/Chthonic) (underworld, inside the earth) goddess who made the vegetation grow. Since her abode was inside the earth, Ops was invoked by her worshipers while sitting, with their hands touching the ground, according to Macrobius (Saturnalia, I:10).

Although Ops is a consort of [Saturn](/source/Saturn_(mythology)), she was closely associated with [Consus](/source/Consus), the protector of grains and subterranean storage bins (silos). Consus is therefore thought to be an alternate name of Saturn in the chthonic aspect as consort. The festival of Consus, the [Consualia](/source/Consualia), was celebrated twice a year, each time preceding that of Ops: once on August 21, after the harvest, and once on December 15, after the sowing of crops was finished.

The Opiconsivia festival was superintended by the [Vestals](/source/Vestals) and the [Flamines](/source/Flamen_Quirinalis) of [Quirinus](/source/Quirinus), an early [Sabine](/source/Sabine) god said to be the deified [Romulus](/source/Romulus_and_Remus). Quirinus was absorbed by, and included in, the first and earliest [Capitoline Triad](/source/Capitoline_Triad), along with Mars—then an agriculture god—and Jupiter. The main [priestess](/source/Priest) at the [regia](/source/Regia) wore a white veil, characteristic of the [vestal virgins](/source/Vestal_virgins). A [chariot race](/source/Chariot_race) was performed in the [Circus Maximus](/source/Circus_Maximus). [Horses](/source/Horse) and [mules](/source/Mule), their heads crowned with chaplets made of flowers, also took part in the celebration.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Sarolta A. Takács, *Vestal Virgins, Sibyls, and Matrons: Women in Roman Religion* (University of Texas Press, 2008), p. 56.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [J. Rufus Fears](/source/J._Rufus_Fears), "The Cult of Virtues and Roman Imperial Ideology," *Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt* II.17.2 (1981), p. 838.

H. H. Scullard, *Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic* (London: Thames and Hudson, 1981), 177–8, 181, 205, 207.

v t e Roman festivals and games (ludi) Agonalia Ambarvalia Amburbium Argei Armilustrium Augustalia Bacchanalia Brumalia Capitoline Games Caprotinia Caristia Carmentalia Cerealia Compitalia Consualia Decennalia Divalia Epulum Jovis Equirria Februa Feralia Floralia Fordicidia Fornacalia Furrinalia Ieiunium Cereris Junonalia Larentalia Latin Festival Lemuria Liberalia Lucaria Ludi Apollinares Ludi Romani Lupercalia Lusus Troiae Matronalia Meditrinalia Megalesia Mercuralia Navigium Isidis Nemoralia Neptunalia October Horse Opiconsivia Parentalia Parilia Poplifugia Plebeian Games Quinquatria Quinquennial Neronia Regifugium Robigalia Saturnalia Rosalia Secular Games Sementivae Septimontium Taurian Games Terminalia Tiberinalia Tricennalia Tubilustrium Veneralia Vestalia Vicennalia Vinalia Volturnalia Vulcanalia

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