CONSUS, ARA
an altar of Consus, an Italic deity of agriculture and the underworld, whose cult was one of the most ancient in the city and localised in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine. It was perhaps dedicated on 1st January, under which date it appears to be mentioned in Fast. Ant. ap. NS 1921, 83. When the circus Maximus finally occupied the entire valley, the altar was near the primae metae, that is, at the south-east end of the permanent spina (Varro, LL vi. 20; Dionys. ii. 3 : βωμὸς Κώνσου; Tert. de spect. 5. 8). It is named by Tacitus (Ann. xii. 24） as one of the corners of the Palatine POMERIUM (q.v.). This altar was underground, and covered except at festivals (7th July, 21st August, 15th December), when it was exposed and sacrifices offered on it (Varro, loc. cit.; Serv. Aen. viii. 636; Plut. Rom. 14; Tert. loc. cit.; HJ 114, 141; Rosch. i. 924-927; WR 166-167; cf. B. Soc. Ant. Fr. 1917, 165-168; AJA 1919, 430, for the position of the altars of Consus at Arles and Dougga). For a theory that the primae metae and the shrine of MURCIA (q.v.) were at the north-west end of the carceres, and that a brick receptacle, discovered in 1825, may have enclosed the ara Consi, see BC 1908, 250-252; Me1. 1908, 279).