Ricerc@Sapienza

Per una corretta consecratio/dedicatio, si dovevano recitare con precisione i sollemnia verba contenuti nella lex che poteva essere definita lex consecrationis o dedicationis oppure, ancora, lex arae o aedis.
Tale lex veniva in seguito trascritta sull’ara, su tabulae poste nel fanum o su cippi delimitanti l’area sacra. Due di questi documenti relativi ad altari si sono conservati e permettono di ricostruire i formulari giuridico sacrali necessari a una corretta consecratio/dedicatio.

To make a res sacred one had to celebrate a consecratio/dedicatio. This ceremony was officiated by a pontiff and a magistrate. The first one was needed to consecrate the res (consecratio), the second one was there to dedicate it following the formulas dictated by the priest (dedicatio). However, whilst only the maximum pontiff or his minor colleague could execute the consecration (Cic. Dom. 124), the dedication could be presided over by different magistrates. We'll try to understand who these last were and also on the base of what mechanisms they were appointed for dedicating a structure.