an ancient Roman festival in honour of Lupercus, the god of fertility, seems, from its rude and unclean ceremonies, to have been introduced by shepherds at a very early date. On the 15th of February, the day of the festival, the Luperci, or priests of Lupercus, assembled at the Lupercal, the spot where the she-wolf is supposed to have suckled Romulus and Remus. There they sacrificed goats and young dogs—animals supposed to be acceptable to the god of fertility, on account of the strength of their sexual appetite. Two youths of noble birth were then led forward; their brows were first stroked by a sword dipped in the blood of the victims, and afterwards washed with wool saturated in milk. The young men meanwhile laughed as often as they were touched. After feasting plentifully, the Luperci cut into shreds the skins of the goats that had been sacrificed. With some of these pieces they covered part of their body, leaving the rest naked, in imitation of Lupercus. With others shaped into thongs, they ran wildly through the streets, lashing every one they met. To these lashes women often submitted voluntarily, since they believed them a preventive against barrenness and severe pangs in child-bearing. That the ceremonies of the Lupercalia were originally intended to symbolize the purification of the people, is evident from the fact that Lupercus was styled, Februus; his festival day, dies februa; the month in which that day occurred, februarius; and the goat-skin used, februum. In course of time, however, the festival came to be regarded simply as a relic of antiquity, and as such continued to be observed as late as the reign of Anastasius. It seems to have been also celebrated in other towns of Italy and in Gaul. The Luperci were originally chosen from the patricians, and are supposed to have been instituted by Romulus and Remus. These princes divided the order or college into two classes; and after the names of their own respective followers, styled them Quinctiliani, or Quinctili, and Fabiani, or Fabii. A third class, called Julii, was added by Julius Caesar; and to these, and possibly to the other divisions also, he assigned certain revenues, which were afterwards discontinued. The office of the Luperci was not a life appointment, but how long it continued is unknown.