Digital Maps of the Ancient World

Ludi Taurii

The Ludi Taurii, or Taurian Games, were games held in honor of the di inferi, the gods of the underworld. These games were not part of the regular Roman religious calendar but were held as expiatory rites in response to religious concerns.

Deity: di inferi
Observances: Horse racing

The Ludi Taurii were first recorded in 186 BC as a two-day event. They were held again during the reign of Antoninus Pius from 140 to 160 AD. Some scholars believe that the games were held every five years, similar to the lustrum, a purification ritual. However, this is not definitively confirmed.

The Taurian Games were horse races held in the Circus Flaminius. They were established in response to an epidemic that afflicted pregnant women, believed to be caused by the distribution of sacrificial bull’s flesh among the people. The games were seen as a way to appease the gods of the underworld and end the epidemic.