the reputed goddess of flowers, was, according to Lactantius, only a lady of pleasure, who having gained large sums of money by prostituting herself, made the Roman people her heir, on condition that certain games called Floralia might be annually celebrated on her birth-day. Some time afterwards, however, such a foundation appearing unworthy the majesty of the Roman people, the senate, to ennoble the ceremony, converted Flora into a goddess, whom they supposed to preside over flowers; and so made it a part of religion to render her propitious, that it might be well with their gardens, vineyards, &c. But Vossius (de Idol. lib. i. c. 12.) can by no means allow the goddess Flora to have been the courtezan above mentioned: he will rather have her a Sabine deity, and thinks her worship might have commenced under Romulus. His reason is, that Varro, in his fourth book of the Latin tongue, ranks Flora among the deities to whom Tatius king of the Sabines offered up vows before he joined battle with the Romans. Add, that from another passage in Varro it appears, that there were priests of Flora, with sacrifices, &c. as early as the times of Romulus and Numa.

The goddess Flora was, according to the poets, the wife of Zephyrus. Her image in the temple of Castor and Pollux was dressed in a close habit, and she held in her hand the flowers of pease and beans: but the modern poets and painters have been more lavish in setting off her charms, considering that no parts of nature offered such innocent and exquisite entertainment to the sight and smell, as the beautiful variety which adorns, and the odour which embalms, the floral creation.