in Roman Antiquity, an annual festival in honour of the god Consus or Neptune, but different from those other feasts of the same deity which were called Neptunalia. They were introduced with a magnificent cavalcade or procession on horseback, because Neptune was reputed to have first taught men the use of horses.

Evander is said to have first instituted this feast, and it was re-established by Romulus under the name of Consus, because it was some god under the denomination of Consus who suggested to him the rape of the Sabines; and it was probably with a view to the achievement in question that he established the festival. To this feast all his neighbours were invited; when, taking advantage of the opportunity, he carried off the women.

The consualia were of the number of feasts called sacred, as being consecrated to a divinity. Originally they were not distinguished from those of the circus; and hence it is that Valerius Maximus says the rape of the Sabines was effected at the games of the circus.

Plutarch observes that, during the days of this solemnity horses and asses were left at rest, and were dressed up with crowns and other ornaments, on account of its being the feast of Neptunus Equestris. According to Festus, the cavalcade was performed with mules, it being an opinion that this was the animal originally used in drawing the car.

Servius gives us to understand that the consualia were celebrated on the 13th of August; but Plutarch, in the life of Romulus, places them on the 18th, and the old Roman calendar on the 21st of that month.