Consus
Consus, an ancient deity, god of secret plans
- a very ancient deity of Italy, a god of the earth and of agriculture, giver of fertility, presiding over counsels and secret plans: CONSVS. CONSILIO. MARS. DVELLO. LARES. COMITIO. POTENTES., old. inscr. in Tert. Spect. 5; cf. Serv. ad Verg. A. 8, 636; Ascon. Cic. Verr. 1, 10, 31; Mart. Cap. 1, § 54.—Hence Romulus consecrated to him the games instituted with the purpose of attracting the Sabine women, Liv. 1, 9, 6, where this deity is called Neptunus Equester; cf. also Serv. l. l. Aus. Idyl. 12 de deis. This festival, subsequently celebrated annually by the Romans, called Consŭālĭa, ium, n., fell on the 21st of August, and at this time the altar of the god, at the lower end of the Circus Maximus, was uncovered, though heaped with earth all the rest of the year, Ov. F. 3, 199 sq.; Varr. L. L. 6, § 20 Müll.; Liv. 1, 9, 6; Paul. ex Fest. p. 41, 15 Müll.; Tert. Spect. 5; Dict. of Antiq. s. v. Consualia.
an ancient Roman divinity, whose name is derived by some from conso, i. e. consulo (Plut. Rom. 14; Tertull. de Spect. 5), while others regard it as a contraction of conditus. (Pseudo-Ascon. in Cic. Verr. 2.10.) All we know about the nature of this divinity is limited to what may be inferred from the etymology of the name, and from the rites and ceremonies which were observed at his festival, the Consualia. (Dict. of Ant. s. v.) With regard to the former, some call him the god of secret deliberations, and others the hidden or mysterious god, that is, a god of the lower regions. The story about the introduction of his worship throws no light upon the question, since both explanations are equally in accordance with it. When after the building of Rome the Romans had no women, it is said, and when their suit to obtain them from the neighbouring tribes was rejected, Romulus spread a report, that he had found the altar of an unknown god buried under the earth. The god was called Consus, and Romulus vowed sacrifices and a festival to him, if he succeeded in the plan he devised to obtain wives for his Romans. (Plut.l.c.; Dionys. A. R. 2.30, &c.) Livy (1.9) calls the god Neptunus Equestris. Hartung (Die Relig. d. Röm. ii. p. 87) has pointed out reasons sufficient to shew, that Consus must be regarded as an infernal divinity; this notion is implied in the tradition of his altar being lound under the earth, and also in the fact that mules and horses, which were under the especial protection of the infernal divinities, were used in the races at the Consualia, and were treated with especial care and solemnity on that occasion. [L.S]
- perh. from condo, an ancient deity, god of secret plans, L., O.
A Roman deity, the god of counsel, as his name denotes. His altar was in the Circus Maximus, and was always covered, except on his festival-day, the 18th of August, called Consualia. Horse and chariot races were celebrated on this occasion; and the working-horses, mules, and asses were crowned with flowers and allowed to rest. Hence Consus has probably been confounded with Neptunus Equestris. It was at the Consualia that the Sabine maidens were carried off by the Romans. See Circus.