But some of them, such as the feria vinde-
mialis, and the feriae aestivae, seem to have
had no direct connection with the worship
of the gods. The nnndinae, however, during
the time of the kings and the early period of
the republic, were feriae only for the popu-
lus, and days of business for the plebeians,
until, by the Hortensian law, they became
fasti or days of business for both orders. All
feriae publicae, i. e. those which were ob-
served by the whole nation, were divided
into feriae stativae, feriae conceptivaet and
feriae imperativae, Feriae stativae or statae
were those which were held regularly, and
on certain days marked in the calendar. To
these belonged some of the great festivals,
such as the Agonalia, Carmentalia, Luper-
calia, &c. Feriae conceptivae or conceptae
were held every year, but not on certain or
fixed days, the time being every year ap-
pointed by the magistrates or priests. Among
these we may mention the feriae Latinae,
feriae Sementivae, Paganalia, and Compi-
talia. ' Feriae imperativae were those which
were held on certain emergencies at the
command of the consuls, praetors, or of a
dictator. The manner in which all public
feriae were kept bears great analogy to the
observance of our Sunday. The people visited
the temples of the gods, and offered up their
IH'ayers and sacrifices. The most serious and
solemn seem to have been the feriae impera-
tivae, but all the others were generally at-
tended with rejoicings and feasting. All
kinds of business, especially law-suits, were
suspended during the public feriae, as they
were considered to pollute the sacred season.
