Newborns and CDR: Lustratio

[Marcus Flavius Celsus]

Dear priests, i'm here to ask your advice and instruction.

Preparing for my son birth, I learned that in Ancient Rome, on the eighth day after birth, were ritual of "Lustratio". But I found no info about ritual itself. Maybe you know more about it? Are we have preserved instructions or text of the ritual from ancient times?

With all respect,
M. Flavius Celsus

[Publius Sextius Laevus]

Salve Celse

You may want to 'Google' Dies Lustricus ceremony for more ideas. Here just a few that I found:

https://books.google.com/books?id=xo9_FGpwje0C&pg=PA89&lpg=PA89&dq=ninth+day+purification+after+birth&source=bl&ots=ZiYiymPk27&sig=BFXi8Av86KPmwDcPjp1doGN4eo8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjAlNCltdHUAhWLWj4KHaTWBesQ6AEIQjAE#v=onepage&q=ninth%20day%20purification%20after%20birth&f=true page 89.

lustricus, a, um, adj. 2. lustrum, of or belonging to purification: dies, the eighth (or ninth) day after a child's birth, on which it was purified by a sacrifice and received a name, Suet. Ner. 6; Macr. S. 1, 16; Arn. 3, 102; cf.: lustrici dies infantium appellantur, puellarum octavus, puerorum nonus, qui his lustrantur atque eis nomina imponuntur, Paul. ex Fest. p. 120 Mull.

http://podcasts.shelbyed.k12.al.us/mabernathy/2011/01/07/%E2%80%9Cdies-lustricus%E2%80%9D-ceremony/

Vale
Laevus

[Gaius Florius Lupus]

Salvete!
Interesting. It is quite similar to thd Christian baptism.
Originally the Christians baptized people when they were adults and had long been given a name. Emperor Constantinus was baptized shortly before his death. But later Christiianity seems to have "romanized" their tradition and baptism was done like a lustratio.
Another example how Roman culture survived n the Catholic Church.
Valete!
C. Florius Lupus

[Publius Sextius Laevus]

Salvete Celse et omnis parentes

Here are a few more references to pursue:

http://www.classicsunveiled.com/romel/html/romechildren.html

page 268 Oxford Handbook of Childhood and Education in the Classical World
edited by Judith Evans Grubbs, Tim Parkin, Roslynne Bell
OUP USA, 2013 - Education - 690 pages:
https://books.google.com/books?id=iShnAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA268&lpg=PA268&dq=dies+lustricus+ceremony&source=bl&ots=P96ZcNN2aW&sig=dSuLDijbFr1ZyB-0eTlpkUdeTPU&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwixja2EudHUAhWQCD4KHZtSA3UQ6AEIWzAJ#v=onepage&q=dies%20lustricus%20ceremony&f=true

Forcellini has references for both 'lustricus' and 'nominalis' for further information:
http://linguax.com/lexica/forc.php?searchedLG=lustricus - 3rd column [quaeso: does anyone know where to find what works 'Paul. Diac.' or 'Macrob.' refer to in the Forcellini 'lustricus' entry?]
http://linguax.com/lexica/forc.php?searchedLG=nominalis - middle column


Vale
Laevus

[Lucia Horatia Adamas]

L. Horatia Adamas P. Sextio Laevo omnibusque S.P.D.

'Macrob.' is almost certainly Macrobius / Macrobios, IV. cent. Anno Domini. His work is called the Saturnalia.

'Paul.Diac.' is likely 'Paulus Diaconus,' author of Epitoma Festi, VIII cent. Anno Domini. There are three authors listed in the OLD whose name begins with 'Paul.' but this is the only one with 'diaconus' ('deacon') added. The most familiar of the three is L. Aemilius Paulus, cos. bis, 182 and 168 BCE, but he does not seem to be the author of the work in question.

IIRC, the Romans had separate deities for breech births and more normal ones, as well as for many other aspects of birth, so it might be prudent to look into other elements of these matters.

'Lustrum' (sense two)* is a ritual performed by a censor every five years after the conclusion of the census, and may be extended to any five-year period, to a festival recurring every fourth or fifth year, or to the orbital period of a celestial body. 'Lustratio' is 'ritual cleansing,' and 'lustricus dies' was the day when a neonate was purified and given a name. 'Lustror' means 'to haunt brothels,' but 'lustro' (verb; the noun means 'one who visits brothels') is used of sightseeing as well as ceremonial purifications, and several other activities.

*sense 1 of 'lustrum' in the OLD is 'a muddy place, morass; the haunts of wild beasts; place of debauchery.'

Vale, et valete.