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Templum Dianae Nemorensis
About
Sanctuary of Diana on the volcanic crater lake the Romans called the 'Mirror of Diana,' guarded by a priest-king who won the post by killing his predecessor in single combat beside a sacred tree. Caligula would later sink two huge pleasure barges in the lake, raised again only in the 1930s, but in 117 CE the cult still ran on its old, violent rules. Slaves and freedwomen alike could serve as priestesses here. Pilgrims carried torches to the lakeshore each August for the Nemoralia.
What happened here
A sanctuary is a precinct, not a building — an enclosed area with a boundary that matters legally. Inside it, rules apply: certain acts are forbidden, debtors and runaways may claim protection, and in some the birth or death of anyone is not permitted. Pilgrims arrive on foot, sometimes over days, and there is accommodation, water, and a market selling exactly what they need to offer. Priesthoods are local and hereditary or annual and political depending on the place. Treasuries hold the accumulated gifts of centuries, catalogued on stone. Festivals draw crowds from a whole region and bring games, contests and trade with them. Between festivals the place is quiet, staffed by a caretaker and visited by a trickle of travellers.
In ancient writing
- Strabo, Geography 5.3.12
The priest of Diana at Aricia is a runaway slave who won the office by killing the last priest, and holds it with a drawn sword against the next.
Sources
Roman Maps shows the empire frozen at 11 August 117 CE, the day Trajan died — its moment of greatest territorial extent. Explore the full map →