Liber

• an old Italian deity, who presided over planting and fructification; afterwards identified with the Greek Bacchus: hunc dico Liberum Semelā natum, non eum, quem nostri majores auguste sancteque Liberum cum Cerere et Libera consecraverunt. Sed quod ex nobis natos liberos appellamus, idcirco Cerere nati nominati sunt Liber et Libera: quod in Libera servant, in Libero non item, Cic. N. D. 2, 24, 62; cf. Serv. Verg. G. 1, 5; Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 19: tertio (invocabo) Cererem et Liberum, quod horum fructus maxime necessarii ad victum: ab his enim cibus et potio venit e fundo, Varr. R. R. 1, 1, 5: Liber et alma Ceres, Verg. G. 1, 7: ex aede Liberi, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 57, § 128; in a pun with 1. liber, Plaut. Capt. 3, 4, 46 (578); cf. id. Curc. 1, 2, 21 (116); id. Stich. 5, 4, 17 (699); so in a pun with liber, free: quiaque adeo me complevi flore Liberi, Magis libera uti lingua collibitum est mihi, Plaut. Cist. 1, 2, 8 (127); cf.: salve, anime mi, lepos Liberi, ut veteris ego sum cupida, etc., id. Curc. 1, 2, 3 (98).— Connected with pater: sic factum, ut Libero patri repertori vitis hirci immolarentur, Varr. R. R. 1, 2, 19: Romulus et Liber pater, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 5: per vestigia Liberi patris, Plin. 4, 10, 17, § 39: patre favente Libero fetis palmitibus, Col. 3, 21, 3: Libero patri in monte res divina celebratur, Macr. S. 1, 18, 4.—
• • B Meton., wine: illud, quod erat a deo donatum, nomine ipsius dei nuncupabant: ut cum fruges Cererem appellamus, vinum autem Liberum: ex quo illud Terentii (Eun. 732): sine Cerere et Libero friget Venus, Cic. N. D. 2, 23, 60: Liberum et Cererem pro vino et pane, Quint. 8, 6, 24; cf. also Plaut. Curc. 1, 2, 4 (99) supra: sed pressum Calibus ducere Liberum Si gestis, etc., Hor. C. 4, 12, 14: condita cum verax aperit praecordia Liber, id. S. 1, 4, 89.

➳ Leiber CIL 1, 562.

This name, or Liber pater, is frequently applied by the Roman poets to the Greek Bacchus or Dionysus, who was accordingly regarded as identical with the Italian Liber. Cicero (de Nat. Deor. 2.24), however, very justly distinguishes between Dionysus (the Greek Liber) and the Liber who was worshipped by the early Italians in conjunction with Ceres and Libera. Liber and the feminine Libera were ancient Italian divinities, presiding over the cultivation of the vine and fertility of the fields; and this seems to have given rise to the combination of their worship with that of Ceres. A temple of these three divinities was vowed by the dictator, A. Postumius, in B. C. 496, near the Circus Flaminius; it was afterwards restored by Augustus, and dedicated by Tiberius. (Tac. Ann. 2.49; Dionys. A. R. 6.17.) The most probable etymology of the name Liber is from liberare; Servius (ad Virg. Georg. 1.7) indeed states that the Sabine name for Liber was Loebasius, but this seems to have been only an obsolete form for Liber, just as we are told that the ancient Romans said loebesus and loebertas for the later forms liber(us) and libertas. (Paul. Diac. p. 121, ed. Miller.) Hence Seneca (de Tranq. Anim. 15) says, " Liber dictus est quia liberat servitio curarum animi;" while others, who were evidently thinking of the Greek Bacchus, found in the name an allusion to licentious drinking and speaking. (Macr. 1.18; August. de Civ. Dei, 6.9; Paul. Diac. p. 115.) Poets usually call him Liber pater, the latter word being very commonly added by the Italians to the names of gods. The female Libera was identified by the Romans with Cora or Persephone, the daughter of Demeter (Ceres), whence Cicero (de Nat. Deor. 2.24) calls Liber and Libera children of Ceres; whereas Ovid (Ov. Fast. 3.512) calls Ariadne Libera. The festival of the Liberalia was celebrated by the Romans every year on the 17th of March. (Dict. of Ant. s. v. Liberalia; Hartung, Die Relig. der Röm. vol. ii. p. 135, &c.; Klausen, Aeneas und die Penaten, vol. ii. p. 750, &c.) [L.S]

• LIQV-, an Italian deity of planting and fructification(identified with the Greek Bacchus), T., C., V., H.—Wine, T., C., H.

The Italian god of wine, afterwards identified with the Greek Dionysus (q.v.). A feminine deity, Libera, was worshipped with him. See Dionysia; Liberalia.

The Italian Bacchus. See Dionysus.