March for Romans was a time to sow conflict as well as crops

Rome did not only organise its agriculture in tune with the rhythm of the seasons, it also fought its wars that wayMarch is named for the Roman god Mars. He was among other things the god of agriculture, and the month was marked by ceremonies to protect new crops from bad weather.Mars was the god of war too, and better weather also meant the start of the campaigning season. The roles sometimes merged. In one of the oldest Roman ceremonies, the "leaping priests" of Mars, 12 young men from noble families would dress as ancient warriors and parade around the city singing in an archaic form of Latin for a good beginning to the planting season. Continue reading...