What Was Rome's Popular Flower?

[Donnaarises]

Each State in the United States has a State Flower. I wonder, did the Romans have a Popular flower? If so, what was that flower? I love flowers, especially red and white roses. Also I love cats and I have a black and white long-haired domain cat. How were cats treated during the Roman Empire.

 

Delicia

[Northern Neil]

Also I love cats and I have a black and white long-haired domain cat. How were cats treated during the Roman Empire.

 

Delicia[/b][/font]

I dont know about flowers, but I have seen material on cats. Here is a selection of cats from mosaics, and they clearly show that the Romans had cats in their houses, and that they were used as pets. The first mosaic I have always liked and has a startling realism. The second one shows a child playing with a cat. I suppose they found a cats liking for playing with twigs / sticks and dangly things just as entertaining as we do now.

 

 

 

[Nephele]

Note to NN, nice work on the Roman cats!

 

Hi, Delicia. The Romans didn't have a popular flower in the same way that each U.S. State has a representative "State Flower." Instead, both the ancient Greeks and Romans tended to have a representative "deity flower" -- in that some of their gods had certain trees, plants and flowers that were associated with them.

 

The oak was sacred to Zeus/Jupiter, the olive tree to Athena/Minerva, the laurel belonged to Apollo, the cypress and cedar to Artemis/Diana, the myrtle, anemone, rose, and myrrh tree to Aphrodite/Venus, the grape vine, ivy and fennel (in the form of a staff called the thyrsus) were symbols of Dionysus, the funereal asphodel belonged to the gods of the underworld such as Hades and Persephone, the pine tree to Pan.

 

The Roman Catholic Church continued the tradition of associating particular trees, plants, and flowers with sacred persons in assigning such to their saints (most often based on stories that connected the saints with these plants, just as the plants sacred to the gods and goddesses became so based on stories in which they figured). On each particular saint's feast day, church altars might be decorated with the flowers or tree boughs associated with that saint.

 

The Church also devised a "Calendar of Flowers" corresponding to their saints days calendar, and there is a specific tree, plant, or flower assigned for each day of the year. I see from your profile, Delicia, that your birthday is November 11th. That would make your natal tree the Weymouth pine (associated with 4th century St. Martin of Tours).

 

-- Nephele

[Donnaarises]

I enjoyed reading the answers to my question about if there was a popular flower in Ancient Roman, and the lovely Mossaic photos of the cat. I love this photo of the cat. It goes to show that the cat has been around around for centuries which makes them so unique. Maybe the Romans loved cats, because they were beneficial to the Roman's health and well-being, because cats help people from suffering from strokes. They are such relaxing animals. Also I love the reply about the flowers and how the Romans used flowers.

 

Delicia

Edited November 23, 2008 by Donnaarises

[ASCLEPIADES]

Salve, Amici

I enjoyed reading the answers to my question about if there was a popular flower in Ancient Roman, and the lovely Mossaic photos of the cat. I love this photo of the cat. It goes to show that the cat has been around around for centuries which makes them so unique. Maybe the Romans loved cats, because they were beneficial to the Roman's health and well-being, because cats help people from suffering from strokes. They are such relaxing animals. Also I love the reply about the flowers and how the Romans used flowers.

 

Delicia

You know, this ih the kind of trivia Caius Secundus Plinius Maior had in mind when he wrote his Naturalis Historia.

Edited December 1, 2008 by ASCLEPIADES