Equus October

The member teams and friends of the international Roman living history association Nova Roma invite all visitors to the Roman celebration of the Ides of October, the Festival of the October Horse, in the Aquincum Museum’s archaeological park, by the altar of the Roman Forum.

The October Horse was one of the most ancient, magical festivals of the Romans, when, as part of a ritual horse race, the winning horse was sacrificed for the welfare of the people. As the Romans considered themselves the descendants of the Trojans, many believe the horse had to be sacrificed to take revenge for the deceit of the Trojan horse and to avert a similar fate. The horse was also a sacred symbol of Mars, and the festival was also seen as a guarantor of the military victories of the Roman army. The October Horse was a proper public festival, with frenetic competitions between the districts of the Subura and the Via Sacra, street contests, mystical religious rituals and street feasting. It is this celebration and atmosphere that the living history teams will now recreate on a small scale, on Saturday, 15 October at 15:00 in Aquincum, at the main altar of the Roman Forum.

The programme begins with the inauguration and consecration of the new pontiff at 15:00. After a short break, it will continue with the Roman census and lustrum at 16:30, including the enrolment of the new knights and senators, followed by the October Horse festivities, the festival rites and the contest of the districts. Interested visitors will have the opportunity to participate in the Roman rituals and the competition of the districts. Visitors who play for the winning district in the contest of the Subura and Via Sacra districts will also receive a small prize!

The event can be visited by purchasing a museum ticket. The usual ticket prices and discounts apply.