God Faunus and the ritual of the luperci. Representation of the male nudity

Abstract

This work aims to offer, through an iconographic and literary analysis, a new perspective towards the degree of nudity exhibited by the Luperci during the celebration of the Lupercalia in Rome. To reach this objective, we make a start with the analysis of the main topics that have been studied in relation to this holiday by several generations of scholars. We, then, go on to try to explain, through the different functions of the ritual, the purpose of this religious ceremony in the eyes of Roman society itself. Finally, and making use of the only ancient images of the luperci that have survived to this day, we seek to account for the evolution of their clothing. Thus, we will try to determine to what extent the main opinion of historiography is valid or not –concerning the fact that the luperci, until Augustus, exhibited their naked bodies, but after his reforms they would start to use much heavier clothing–. This supposed variation of the priestly attire may be related to a certain fundamental change that, under the auspices of Augustus, deprived the senators of continuing to exercise as luperci in favor of knights. The equites –who would thus see their social status elevated–, would end up being, in turn, relegated from this role at some undetermined time in the IV or V centuries AD. After that, their old roles came to be played by professional actors, which would finally distort much of the content of this millennial ritual.