OPI, OPALIA, OPICONSIVIA. - Ops, an ancient Roman goddess, is often identified in literary testimonies with the Greek Rhea and thus appears as the wife of Saturn (Kronos).
Originally, however, as appears from the ordering of the archaic calendar, Ops was closely linked with another god, Consus: her two festivals, the Opalia of 19 December and the Opiconsivia of 25 August, follow at an equal interval the two Consualia (15 December, 21 August). The name of the festival Opiconsivia also, which corresponds to a divine name Ops Consivia, implies the same relationship. The sanctuary of Ops Consivia was located in the regia, and no one could enter it except the Vestals and a public priest. Later Ops also had a temple on the Capitoline: in the age of Augustus, the matrons assembled before this temple to celebrate the secular games; state documents were kept in the temple. The name of the goddess means both abundance (opei, opulentia, etc.) and help, protection (opem ferre, cf. the epithet of the goddess: opifera). Ops was prayed to while seated, touching the earth.
Bibliography3 worksG. Wissowa, Religion und Kultur der Römer, 2nd ed., Munich 1912, p. 203; G. Rohde, Opi, in Pauly-Wissowa, XVIII (1939), col. 749 ff.; A. Bre
BIBL.: G. Wissowa, Religion und Kultur der Römer, 2nd ed., Munich 1912, p. 203; G. Rohde, Opi, in Pauly-Wissowa, XVIII (1939), col. 749 ff.; A. Brelich, Die geheime Schutzgottheit von Rom, Zurich 1940, p. 41 ff.
Brelich, Angelo. “Opi, opalia, opiconsivia.” In Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, col. 169. Città del Vaticano: Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952. https://azioneromana.com/article/opi-opalia-opiconsivia.
MLA
Brelich, Angelo. “Opi, opalia, opiconsivia.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. IX, Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico, 1952, col. 169. Azione Romana, https://azioneromana.com/article/opi-opalia-opiconsivia.
BibTeX
@incollection{ec9_opi_opalia_opiconsivia,
author = {Brelich, Angelo},
title = {Opi, opalia, opiconsivia},
booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica},
volume = {IX},
pages = {169},
note = {Cited by column},
publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico},
address = {Città del Vaticano},
year = {1952},
url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/opi-opalia-opiconsivia}
}
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