October 2, 2025

Dionysius, Varro, and the Ritual of the Argei

Key Points

Dionysius and Varro provide differing accounts of the Argei ritual, highlighting challenges in interpreting historical practices.
Both authors trace the ritual's origins back to Hercules, reflecting their shared perspective on ancient Roman religion.
The discussions by Dionysius and Varro contradict other historical evidence, emphasizing the need for careful analysis.
These inconsistencies may stem from the mythicization of Romulus' Rome, impacting the credibility of documented Roman rituals.

Abstract

In his history of Rome, Dionysius of Halicarnassus briefly discusses the ritual of the Argei. There is good reason to conclude that he was drawing on Varro's work for his account. Both authors make claims about the ritual that are inconsistent with other evidence. It is suggested that some of these inconsistencies are due to their long history of the ritual, which they traced back to Hercules' day, and their depiction of Romulus' Rome, which they also shared, in which Romulus was the founder of Rome's religion.

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