QUINQUENNA´LIA
QUINQUENNA´LIA were games instituted by Nero A.D.
60, in imitation of the Greek festivals, and celebrated like the Greek
πεντετηρίδες at the end of every four
years; they consisted of musical, gymnastic, and equestrian contests, and
were called
Neronia, or
Agon
Neroneus. (
Suet. Nero 12;
Tac. Ann. 14.20;
D. C.
61.21.) Suetonius and Tacitus (
ll. cc.）
say that such games were first introduced at Rome by Nero. The
Quinquennalia, which had previously been instituted
both in honour of Julius Caesar (
D. C. 44.6) and
of Augustus (Id. 51.19;
Suet. Aug. 59,
98), were confined to the towns of Italy and
the provinces. The Quinquennalia of Nero appear not to have lasted long, but
they were revived by Gordian III. (Friedländer,
Sittengeschichte, ii.5 436 f.;
Marquardt,
Staatsverw. iii.2 566.) For
the
Agon Capitolinus of Domitian, see
LUDI p. 85
b.
[W.S] [G.E.M]
