Megalesia

Mĕgălē, ēs, f., = Megalê (the great, exalted), a surname of the Magna Mater, Calend. Verrii Fl. in Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 389; v. the foll.—

II.

Derivv.

A.

Mĕgă-lensis ( Mĕgălēsis ), e, adj.

1.

Of or belonging to the Magna Mater (only postAug.):

ludorum Megalesium spectaculum,

Tac. A. 3, 6 fin.:

ludis Megalensibus,

Gell. 2, 24, 1:

Megalensibus sacris,

Plin. 7, 37, 37, § 123.—

2.

Of or belonging to the Megalesia, Megalesian:

Megalensis purpura,

i. e. the festival dress of the prætor worn at the Megalesia, Mart. 10, 41, 5.—Most freq. in neutr. plur. subst.: Mĕgălensia, or, in the archaic form, Mĕgălēsia, ĭum, n., also Magalesia ludi, the festival in honor of the Magna Mater, celebrated annually on the 4 th of April with processions and games: Megalensia, Calend. Praenest. Verrii in Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 388 and 399; cf. Paul. ex Fest. p. 125 Müll.; v. also Müll. ib. p. 400 sq.; and cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 15 Müll.:

scripsi haec ipsis Megalensibus,

Cic. Fam. 2, 11, 2:

pertulere deam (Magnam Matrem) pridie Idus Aprilis: isque dies festus fuit: populus frequens dona deae in Palatium tulit lectisterniumque et ludi fuere, Megalesia appellata,

Liv. 29, 14 fin.; cf. id. 36, 36;

Auct. Harusp. 12, 24: Megalesia,

Liv. 34, 54:

Megalesia ludi,

Ov. F. 4, 357; cf. Quint. 1, 5, 52; Juv. 6, 69.—

B.

Mĕgălēsĭăcus, a, um, adj., of or belonging to the Megalesia, Megalesian:

mappae,

Juv. 11, 191; Schol. Juv. ib.