anniversary return of the day wherein a person was born. The ancients placed a good deal of religion in the celebration of birth-days, and took omens from thence of the felicity of the coming year. The manner of celebrating birth-days was by a splendid dress: wearing a fort of rings peculiar to that day: offering sacrifices; the men to their genius, of wine, frankincense; the women to Juno: giving suppers, and treating their friends and clients; who in return made them presents, wrote and sung their panegyrics, and offered vows and good wishes for the frequent happy returns of the same day. The birth-days of emperors were also celebrated with public sports, feasts, vows, and medals struck on the occasion. But the ancients, it is to be observed, had other sorts of birth-days besides the days on which they were born. The day of their adoption was always reputed as a birth-day, and celebrated accordingly. The emperor Adrian, we are told, observed three birth-days; viz., the day of his nativity, of his adoption, and of his inauguration. In those times it was held, that men were not born only on those days when they first came into the world, but on those also when they arrived at the chief honours and commands in the commonwealth, e.g., the consulate. Hence that of Cicero in his oration ad Quirites, after his return from exile: A parentibus, id quod neceste erat, parvus sum procreatus; a vo bis natus fum confularis.

Birthwort. See Aristolochia, Botany Index.