Festival will honor ancient Mediterranean
Posted: Tuesday, Apr 01, 2008 - 01:37:40 pm CDT
 Photo courtesy of Beloit College Re-enactors will dress in the uniforms of Roman Centurions at a Roman Holiday festival to be held at Beloit College April 12. The festival will commemorate the 2000th anniversary of the Roman festival dedicated to Ceres, the Roman goddess of wheat and springtime. |
Roman centurions and students wrapped in togas soon will be parading around the Beloit College campus to mark a tradition of ancient Rome.
Two thousand years ago, Romans heralded the coming of spring with the Cerealia, a week-long festival that honored Ceres, the Roman goddess of wheat and springtime. Beloit College will replicate the annual celebration with a festival honoring ancient Mediterranean cultures and their enduring legacy on April 12. The Roman Holiday festival will take place throughout the day. In the case of rain, all events will move into the college's Wright Museum of Art.
There is no charge and the public is welcome.
In addition to commemorating the Cerealia, the festival will highlight Beloit College's respect for the study of the classics, which dates to the founding of the school. In the late 19th century, the college acquired The Fisher Collection, more than 25 plaster casts made from ancient Greek and Roman statuary. Some of these pieces remain on display in the Wright Museum of Art. This spring, the casts underwent conservation and restoration by fine arts conservator Tony Rajer, of Madison, and a group of Beloit College students.
The celebration will draw on the traditions of the ancient Romans. Emperor Augustus Caesar inaugurated the Cerealia festival, which opened with a blessing of the citizens and animals of Rome. Beloit College will replicate that ceremony with a blessing of community pets by the Rev. Selena Fox, of the Circle Sanctuary, at 11 a.m., in front of the Wright Museum of Art.
Poetry readings and ancient craft demonstrations will follow.
“We have invited regional experts to participate in the day-long event,” says Rajer. Special guests will include Greek military historian Chris Manesiotis, of Chicago, who will wear a handmade reproduction Roman centurion's uniform, and reproduction artisan Janet King, of Fort Wayne, Ind., who will demonstrate the ancient art of gold-thread weaving. The readings and demonstrations are scheduled to take place on the grounds in front of the Wright Museum of Art.
Two Roman legion re-enactment groups - the 14th Legion from Wisconsin-Illinois and the 30th Legion from Indiana-Ohio - will set up a Roman army tent camp and demonstrate armor, military clvothing and marching. More than a dozen legionnaires, dressed in replicas of Roman uniforms, will engage visitors in discussions about ancient cultures. They will be accompanied by women draped in period gowns.
Other area schools also will contribute to the festival. A delegation from a historical technology class at Western Illinois University will bring a Roman catapult, while a group from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay will display Athenian armor that the public can try on. Students from Beloit Memorial High School will participate as well.
The festival will conclude with a toga party at 7 p.m., in the courtyard gallery of the Wright Museum of Art. Party-goers will have an opportunity to view The Fisher Collection on display, and students who were involved with the conservation project will be available to discuss their work. Togas are recommended formal attire for the evening party, though participants are encouraged to dress as gods, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and even barbarians. Refreshments will be served.
At the toga party, Beloit College professor Art Robson will be honored for his commitment to promoting the classics. Medals of honor will be presented to other distinguished guests, including a lifetime achievement award to actor, writer and director J. D. Feigelson for his distinguished career in the Hollywood film industry. Feigelson is a Roman enthusiast who will attend the festivities at Beloit.
For more details about the Roman Holiday festival, log on to www.beloit.edu or contact the Wright Museum of Art at museum@www.beloit.edu or (608)363-2151.
