Hymns & Liturgical Texts
Carmen Saliare
Roman Religion Hymns
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Origin Traditionally dated to the Roman regal period; textually attested only through later Republican and Imperial grammarians.
The Carmen Saliare is the archaic processional hymn sung by the Salii, the twelve leaping priests of Mars, during their March and October rites marking the opening and closing of the Roman campaigning season. Preserved fragments survive only through later grammarians and antiquarians, who quote it as an example of Latin so old that it was already largely unintelligible to educated Romans of the late Republic; Quintilian and Varro both remark on its obscurity. Along with the Carmen Arvale, it is counted among the oldest surviving specimens of the Latin language, valued by philologists precisely for the archaic word-forms its ritual context preserved long after they had dropped out of ordinary speech.
Facts
Origins
Origin PeriodTraditionally dated to the Roman regal period; textually attested only through later Republican and Imperial grammarians. 1 Attributed Author / CompilerTraditionally attributed to King Numa Pompilius, the legendary founder of the Salii priesthood; authorship cannot be verified. 1 Practice
Who Performs ItTrained or authorised specialists 1 Sung by the Salii, a closed priestly college, matching its Carmen Arvale sibling. Solitary or CommunalPerformed by an officiant for a recipient 1 Sung by the Salii, the twelve leaping priests of Mars, during their processional rites. Form
Form of the TextSung processional chant, performed while leaping and striking the sacred ancilia shields. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Addressed To
Mars, Deities Its own text: sung by "the Salii, the twelve leaping priests of Mars" during the rites marking the opening and closing of the campaigning season under his authority.
Belongs to Tradition
Originates in Language
Its own text: "Latin so old that it was already largely unintelligible to educated Romans of the late Republic".
Related To
Its own text: "Along with the Carmen Arvale, it is counted among the oldest surviving specimens of the Latin language."
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