or COMPITALITA, feasts held among the ancients in honour of the lares. The word comes from the Latin compitum, a cross-way; by reason the feast was held in the meeting of several roads. The compitalia are more ancient than the building of Rome. Dionysius Halicarnassus, and Pliny, indeed, say, they were instituted by Servius Tullus; but this only signifies that they were then introduced into Rome. The feast being moveable, the day whereon it was to be observed was proclaimed every year. It was ordinarily held on the 4th of the nones of February, i.e. on the 2d of that month. Macrobius observes, that they were held not only in honour of the lares, but also of mania, madness. The priests who officiated at them were slaves and liberti, and the sacrifice a sow. They were re-established, after a long neglect, by Tarquin the Proud, on occasion of an answer of the oracle, that they should sacrifice heads for heads; i.e. that for the health and prosperity of each family, children were to be sacrificed: but Brutus, after expelling the kings, in lieu of those barbarous victims substituted the heads of garlic and poppy; thus satisfying the oracle which had enjoined capitis, heads. During the celebration of this feast, each family placed at the door of their house the statue of the goddess Mania: they also hung up at their doors figures of wool, representing men and women; accompanying them with supplications that the lares and mania would be contented with those figures, and spare the people of the house.