Megalesia

American  

[meg-uh-lee-zhuh, -shuh, -see-uh] / ˌmɛg əˈli ʒə, -ʃə, -si ə /

noun

(sometimes used with a plural verb)

1. an ancient Roman festival in honor of the Magna Mater.

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Etymology

Origin of Megalesia

From Latin, short for megalēsia (lūdī) “Megalesian (games),” derivative of Megalē “the great” (from Greek megálē ), epithet of the Magna Mater

Example Sentences

The annual celebration called Megalesia, that is, the festival of the Great Mother, was instituted at Rome in honour of the goddess, and celebrated in the spring.

From Plutarch's Lives, Volume II by Stewart, Aubrey

The Megalesia, for example, had been introduced 204 B.C.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 10, Slice 2 "Fairbanks, Erastus" to "Fens" by Various

It was not imitated by the patrician society, with its reserve and exclusiveness, till the institution of the Megalesia in 204 B.C.

From The Religious Experience of the Roman People From the Earliest Times to the Age of Augustus by Fowler, W. Warde

There it was placed in a stately temple built for the purpose, and a solemn festival, called Megalesia, was celebrated annually, in honor of Cyb´ele.

From The Student's Mythology A Compendium of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Hindoo, Chinese, Thibetian, Scandinavian, Celtic, Aztec, and Peruvian Mythologies by White, Catherine Ann

The aediles of the populace directed the Megalesia, by decree.

From Dio's Rome, Volume 2 An Historical Narrative Originally Composed in Greek During the Reigns of Septimius Severus, Geta and Caracalla, Macrinus, Elagabalus and Alexander Severus; and Now Presented in English Form. Second Volume Extant Books 36-44 (B.C. 69-44). by Foster, Herbert Baldwin