Pilumnoe Poploe, interpretazioni e fonti

Abstract

Starting from a reflection on the Salian fragment pilumnoe poploe, this work focuses on the use of the pilleus intended as a hat for Salii priests. This investigation was possible thanks to the use of extremely heterogeneous sources, from literary to iconographic ones. The list of sources starts from a passage from Minucius Felix's Octavius. In this apologetic dialogue, the author sharply criticizes the romana religio by targeting some specific priesthoods. These priesthoods include the Salii, who have their own detailed description through a periphrasis in which they are not named but are recognizable. Starting from this passage, we can try to confirm the hypothesis that was already made by Peruzzi (1978), reading the fragment as a pilleatus populus. Alongside other literary sources such as Festus and Vergilius, there are iconographic sources, including, noteworthy in terms of quantity, Salian-themed gems. With the help of this collection of sources, we could provide a solid basis for Peruzzi's hypothesis. The collected sources were divided into two groups. The second one, recognizable by the presence of (?) in the numbering, was isolated in the final part of the research because of the lack of evidence on their Salian origin.