equirria

EQUI´RRIAor ECURRIA, a festival at which there were horse-races, said to have been instituted by Romulus in honour of Mars, in the Campus Martius. (Festus, s. v.; Varro, L. L. 6.13, Müller.) There were two festivals of this name; of which one was celebrated a. d. iii. Cal. Mart., and the other prid. Id. Mart.(Ovid, Ov. Fast. 2.859, 3.519.) At a later date this festival was called Mamuralia, and a sacrifice was offered to Mamurius (Calend. Philocali). If the Campus Martius was overflowed by the Tiber, the races took place on a part of the Mons Caelius, which was called from that circumstance the Martialis Campus. (Paul. Diac. pp. 81, 131, M.)