Happy Terminalia!
Today (February 23) is the festival of Terminalia, named after the Roman god of boundaries, Terminus. Terminus is likely one of the older Roman gods, reportedly introduced by Romulus himself at the founding of Rome.
According to legend, the last king of Rome, Tarquin, AKA Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (534-509 B.C.), sought to leave a legacy to his “superb-ness”, so he decided to reshape Rome with a large-scale building campaign. A key part of this effort was the reconstruction of the Temple of Jupiter on Capitol Hill.
This must have appealed to Tarquin, as this temple would be built on top of the site consecrated by Romulus himself. Unfortunately for Tarquin, one of the existing shrines slated for removal was a shrine to Terminus.
It would not budge.
More than 500 years later, the poet Ovid immortalized this scene in his poem Fasti 2 (without mentioning Tarquin):
“What happened when the new Capitol was built?
Where he was found, and shares the temple with great Jupiter.
Even now there’s a small hole in the temple roof,
So he can see nothing above him but stars.
Since then, Terminus, you’ve not been free to wander:
Stay there, in the place where you’ve been put,
And yield not an inch to your neighbour’s prayers,
Lest you seem to set men above Jupiter.”
According to Roman tradition, all border marking stones had to be dedicated to Jupiter and could not be covered. It appears that the Temple to Jupiter had to be built around the Terminus, which would not yield, no matter how many prayers Tarquin offered.
How to celebrate Terminalia like an ancient Roman
According to Ovid, the owners of the land on either side of the boundary stone get up early, put on togas and each put a garland and a cake on the stone. Then the families of the owners get involved, building an altar and starting a fire. Family members ceremonially burned some corn, honeycombs, as well as some wine. Finally, the blood of a slaughtered lamb is sprinkled on the monument and all the neighbors join in for a feast. The immovability of Terminus was celebrated, along with the fact that such monuments mark the boundaries of the Roman world.
The importance of boundaries
The ancient Romans weren’t the first people to understand the importance of immovable boundaries. As long as people wanted to claim ownership of a piece of land, there have been boundaries . . . however the only boundaries that remain over time are those marked with metal or stone.
Stones do pretty well as these images show, but they really can’t match the strength of metal.
The boundary marker on the border between Norway and Sweden in a remote area in the Arctic.
German forest boundary stone set up in 1754; it marks one end of a line of 65 boundary stones between the Hanoverian state forest and the woods held in common by local villages.
The Berntsen marker at Machu Picchu set in 2005. I expect it will be there as long as Machu Picchu exists.
As a surveyor, when I installed Berntsen markers and monuments, I knew that I was establishing a boundary that would stand the test of time. I don’t expect to be remembered, but I know the markers I’ve installed are a credit to Wisconsin and to ancient Terminus.
So today, I celebrate Terminalia by feasting (snacking), spending time with my family (winter coats instead of togas) and honoring the work we do as surveyors.
Send me your photos of your Terminalia celebrations, and I’ll add them to this page! email@berntsen.com
Thank you Thomas Harper for this amazing photo of the Initial Point of the Gila and Salt River Meridian (Arizona). The picture was taken on February 26, looking east with parts of Baseline Road visible in the distance. A great Terminalia photo!
