Ante Diem IX Kalendas October

Modern Date : September 23rd

Ante Diem IX Kalendas October
Ninth Day to the Kalends of October

This is one of the dies comitiales when committees of citizens could vote on political or criminal matters.

Drusilla, the mad Emperor Caligula's beloved sister and lover, was deified this day in 38 BCE.

On this day in 480 BCE the Greeks defeated the Persian fleet at the battle of Salamis. This essentially ended Persian attempts to dominate the West. An extended period of peace and golden age culture followed in Greece.

One of the greatest playwrights of ancient Greece, Euripides, was born also on this this day in 480 BCE. Euripides introduced numerous radical innovations to the stage, including large casts of actors, siongers and musicians, night-time plays with light and fire, machines for creating real or illusory motion, and shocking levels of violence. The stage was never the same again. Almost half of his tragedies have survived.

September is the 'magical' seventh month (after March).


The Feast of Nemesis
The Greeks celebrated the Feast of Nemesis on this day. Nemesis is the goddess of divine justice and vengeance. Her anger is directed toward human transgression of the natural, right order of things and of the arrogance causing it. Nemesis pursues the insolent and the wicked with inflexible vengeance. Her cult probably originated from Smyrna. She is regarded as the daughter of Oceanus or Zeus, but according to Hesiod she is a child of Erebus and Nyx.

She is portrayed as serious looking woman with in her left hand a whip, a rein, a sword, or a pair of scales. In the Hellenistic period she was portrayed with a steering wheel. Also called Rhamnusia, from a temple and statue of her in Rhamnus, a village in the northern part of Attica. The epithet Adrasteia "she whom none can escape", properly of the those of the Phrygian Cybele, was later applied to her.


The Greater Eleusinian Mysteries
This is the first day of the Greater Eleusinian Mysteries, which started on the 16th. They continued for nine more days in honor of Ceres and Proserpine (Roman) or Demeter and Persephone (Greek). The first day of the celebration was called Agormos, "Assembly," as the worshippers first met together. A gathering was held of candidates for initiation. The guides gave precise instructions, knowledge of which was necessary in the course of the initiation. In the evening, matrons journeyed to the rites in oxen drawn carriages. A select company of Athenian matrons, referred to as the Camphorae, carried a small coffer or basket called the Kalathion of Ceres. Within the basket were the comb of Ceres, her mirror, a serpentine figure, and some wheat and barley. The procession ended at the temple, where this sacred charge was left with the greatest solemnity.


Mielikki
This day is in celebration of the Finnish Goddess Mielikki. Mielikki may be considered a Finnish Artemis. She is a protector of animals. She may also be called Mimerkki, Mieulutar, and Mielus. Mielus means "friendly" and Mieli means "mind" or even "intelligence."

Her husband often refers to her as 'All-Pleasing Woman'. But as he's a tree, it's hard to know what to make of that. How do you please a tree? In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic based on the runo-songs, the hero Lemminkäinen offers her and Tapio(her husband) both prayers and gold and silver so he can catch the Hiisi elk. In annother passage Mielikki is asked to protect cattle grazing in the forest. In a country where the forest was central for providing food through hunting, gathering and cattle grazing, it was probably very important to stay on her good side so the hunting would be good and so the predators stayed clear of the cattle.