Libitina, also Libentina or Lubentina, is an ancient Roman goddess of funerals and burial. Her name was used as a

metonymy Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...

for death, and undertakers were known as ''libitinarii''. Libitina was associated with

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...

, and the name appears in some authors as an epithet of Venus. The grove ''(

lucus In ancient Roman religion, a ''lūcus'' (, plural ''lūcī'') is a sacred grove. ''Lucus'' was one of four Latin words meaning in general "forest, woodland, grove" (along with ''nemus'', ''silva'', and ''saltus''), but unlike the others it wa ...

)'' of Libitina was located on the Esquiline Hill, as were several religious sites indicating that the area had "unhealthy and ill-omened" associations. A public cemetery was located outside the Esquiline Gate, in the

Campus Esquilinus Campus Esquilinus was an area on the Esquiline Hill in ancient Rome. It was the site of many extravagant buildings as well as baths and gardens. The Campus Esquilinus was also the site of executions and burials, though it was eventually turned into ...

. A temple of Venus in the grove of Libitina celebrated its founding anniversary August 19, the day of the Vinalia Rustica. When a person died, the treasury of the temple collected a coin as a "death tax" supposed to have been established by Servius Tullius. During a plague in 65 AD, 30,000 deaths were recorded at the temple.

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Ancient Rome, Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditiona ...

notes two occasions when the death toll exceeded Libitina's capacity. A panel ''( collegium)'' of funeral directors ''(dissignatores)'' was based in the grove of Libitina. Libitina is sometimes regarded as

Etruscan __NOTOC__ Etruscan may refer to: Ancient civilization *The Etruscan language, an extinct language in ancient Italy *Something derived from or related to the Etruscan civilization **Etruscan architecture **Etruscan art **Etruscan cities **Etruscan ...

in origin. The name is perhaps derived from

''lupu-'', "to die."

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (; 116–27 BC) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Vergil and Cicero). He is sometimes calle ...

, however, offers a

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

etymology from ''lubere,'' "to be pleasing," related to '' libido'', that attempts to explain the goddess's connection to Venus. ''Venus Lubentina'' or ''Libitina'' may result from an

identification Identification or identify may refer to: *Identity document, any document used to verify a person's identity Arts, entertainment and media * ''Identify'' (album) by Got7, 2014 * "Identify" (song), by Natalie Imbruglia, 1999 * Identification ( ...

with the Etruscan

Alpanu Alpanu sometimes spelt Alpnu or Alpan was an Etruscan goddess of the underworld. She is shown as wearing jewellery, a loose cloak, and sandals. She is otherwise naked, and for this reason is believed to also have been a goddess of sexual activity. ...

(also as Alpan or Alpnu) who had characteristics of both a love goddess and an underworld deity. The Etruscan formula ''alpan turce'' is equivalent to ''libens dedit,'' "gave freely or willingly," in Latin.Harmon, "Religion in the Latin Elegists," p. 1924, citing Robert Schilling, ''La religion romaine de Vénus depuis les origines jusqu'au temps d'Auguste,'' Bibliothèque des Écoles d'Athènes et de Rome 178 (Paris, 1954).

References

External links

* {{Authority control Death goddesses Roman goddesses