Back Lèmur (mitologia) Catalan Lemurové Czech Λεμούρια Greek Lemuro (mitologio) EO Lémur (mitología) Spanish Lemureak EU لمورها FA Lemures Finnish Lémure French Lémures (mitoloxía) GL
| Religion in ancient Rome |
|---|
 |
| Practices and beliefs |
| Priesthoods |
| Deities |
| Related topics |
The lemures /ˈlɛmjəriːz/ were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead in Roman religion,[1] sometimes used interchangeably with the term larvae (from Latin larva, 'mask').[2] The term lemures was first used by the Augustan poet Horace (in Epistles 2.2.209),[2] and was the more common literary term during the Augustan era, with larvae being used only once by Horace.[2] However, lemures is also uncommon: Ovid being the other main figure to employ it, in his Fasti, the six-book calendar poem on Roman holidays and religious customs.[3] Later the two terms were used nearly or completely interchangeably, e.g. by St. Augustine in De Civitate Dei.[4]
The word lemures can be traced to the Proto-Indo-European stem *lem-, which also appears in the name of the Greek monster Lamia.[5]
- ^ Cirlot, J. E. (1971). A Dictionary of Symbols (2nd ed.). Dorset Press. p. 181. ISBN 9781566490542.
- ^ a b c Thaniel, George (1973). "Lemures and Larvae". The American Journal of Philology. 94 (2): 182–187. doi:10.2307/294451. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Horace, Epistles 2.2.209; Ovid, Fasti 2.500-539.
- ^ Smith, William (1873). "Lemures". A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. New-Street Square and Parliament Street: Spottiswoode and Co. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ Polomé, Edgar C.; Adams, Douglas Q. (1997). "Spirit". In Mallory, J. P.; Adams, Douglas Q. (eds.). Encyclopedia of Indo-European Culture. Taylor & Francis. p. 538.