Argei
The Argei were archaic religious observances held on 16th and 17th March, as well as 14th or 15th May. These rituals involved a procession of religious figures, including pontiffs, Vestals, and praetors.
Date: 16th-17th March and 14th-15th May
Observances: Procession, collection of figures, ritual offering to the River Tiber
During the procession, the participants visited 27 stations or shrines where figures fashioned from rush, reed, and straw were retrieved. These figures resembled men tied hand and foot. After visiting all the stations, the procession moved to the Pons Sublicius, the oldest known bridge in Rome, where the figures were thrown into the Tiber River.
The meaning behind the Argei rituals had become obscure by the time of Augustus. The figures and stations were both referred to as Argei, and the etymology of this term remains uncertain.
The continued practice of the Argei despite their lack of understanding demonstrates the Romans’ strong adherence to tradition and their belief in the importance of religious rituals.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 