Meditrinalia

• a festival celebrated on the 11th of October in honor of Meditrina (on which occasion a libation of new wine was made for the first time): Octobri mense Meditrinalia dies dictus a medendo, quod Flaccus flamen Martialis dicebat, hoc die solitum vinum novum et vetus libari et degustari medicamenti causā: quod facere solent etiam nunc multi cum dicant: Novum vetus vinum libo: novo veteri vino morbo medeor, Varr. L. L. 6, § 21 Müll.: Meditrinalia dicta hac de causa. Mos erat Latinis populis, quo die quis primum gustaret mustum, dicere ominis gratiā: vetus novum vinum bibo, veteri novo morbo medeor. A quibus verbis etiam Meditrinae deae nomen conceptum ejusque sacra Meditrinalia dicta sunt, Paul. ex Fest. p. 123, 15 Müll.; v. also Calend. Maff. et Amit. in Inscr. Orell. 2, p. 400.

MEDITRINA´LIAa festival on October 11th in honour of Meditrina, the old Roman goddess of healing (cp. Varro, L. L. 6.21; Fest. s. v.). On this day, when the new wine (mustum) was tasted, it was the custom to pour a libation with the prayer that the wine might have health-giving powers, novum vetus vinum bibo, novo veteri vino morbo medeor. According to the Calendar of Amiternum it was feriae Jovi, and perhaps a libation was poured to him as the god of the prosperity (salus) of the state, as well as to Meditrina, with whose healing power the festival was identified. We may compare the prayer used at the πιθοίγια, ἀβλαβῆ καὶ σωτήριον τοῦ φαρμάκου χρῆσιν γενέσθαι; and also the primitiae pomorum, Plin. Nat.28.23. (Preller, Rom. Myth. pp. 175, 594; Marquardt, Staatsverw. 3.584.)