In Roman mythology, Anna Perenna was a minor deity of the circle, wheel, or "ring" of the year, as indicated by her title Perenna (per annum).

Origin

thumb|Suicide of Dido, a representation of Dido being rescued by her sister Anna, later identified with the Roman divinity Anna Perenna, [[Oil painting|oil on canvas by Guercino, 1625, Rome, Galleria Spada.]]

thumb|Aeneas Departs From Carthage; Anna and Dido are labelled.

Roman poet Ovid reports a legend that conflates Anna Perenna with Anna, the sister of Dido: queen and founder of Carthage in Virgil's Aeneid. After Dido's tragic death, Anna finds refuge from her brother Pygmalion on Malta with Battus, the king of the island and a wealthy host. suggested that Anna Perenna was originally an Etruscan mother goddess, and that her relationship with Aeneas was developed to strengthen her association with Rome.

Festival

Anna Perenna's festival fell on the Ides of March (March 15), which would have marked the first full moon in the year in the old lunar Roman calendar, when March was recognized as the first month of the year. The festival was held at the goddess' grove at the first milestone on the Via Flaminia. It was much frequented by the city plebeians. Macrobius records that offerings were made to her ut annare perannareque commode liceat, i.e., "that the circle of the year may be completed happily" Johannes Lydus says that public sacrifice and prayers were offered to her to secure a healthy year. In his Fasti, Ovid provides a vivid description of her outdoor festival:

Cult

Two places of worship of Anna Perenna are attested. One was in Buscemi, Sicily, where in 1899 some inscriptions to Anna and Apollo were found. The other was in Rome, where a fountain devoted to Anna Perenna rites was unearthed in 1999.

References

  • <!-- s:A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Anna, Perenna -->
  • Obscure Goddess Online Dictionary