Paculla Annia: Encyclopedia II - Paculla Annia - Rites

Paculla Annia - Rites

In 188 BC, Paculla admitted men for the first time to participate - although it is now believed that men had participated before that. The first men to be initiated were her sons, Minius and Herennius Cerrinius. She also had ordered the festivities to take place by night instead of by day, and instead of three days in a year, five days of initiation in each month were appointed. Finally, participants of the ceremonies were all sorts: men and women, young and old, noble and common people, free and slaves, in a freedom of wine and sex. Everything was allowed. Also a rule was accepted that no one older than twenty should be initiated as the cult preyed on the young, innocent and naive.

In the rites, men were said to have shrieked out prophecies in an altered state of consciousness with frenzied bodily convulsions. Women, dressed as Bacchantes, with hair dishevelled, run down to the Tiber with burning torches, plunged them into the water, and took them out again. The flame did not diminish, as they were made of sulphur mixed with lime.

The rites of women gradually turned into sexual orgies especially of men. The men who refused to join their conspiracy or take a part in their rites or submit to defilement, were sacrificed. They were fastened to a machine and taken to hidden caves, where they were said to have been kidnapped by the gods.

The festivities were reported to Postumius, who persuaded the Roman Senate to authorize full investigation. In 186, the Senate passed a strict law (the Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus) prohibiting Bacchanalia except under certain circumstances that required the approval of the Senate. Violators were executed.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Rites", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki