Flora (mythology)

Flora (Flōra) is a Roman goddess of flowers and spring. She was one of the twelve deities of traditional Roman religion who had their own flamen, the Floralis, one of the flamines minores. Her association with spring gave her particular importance at the coming of springtime, as did her role as goddess of youth. She is one several fertility goddesses and a relatively minor figure in Roman mythology. Her Greek counterpart is Chloris.

Etymology
The name Flōra descends from Proto-Italic *flōsā ('goddess of flowers'), itself a derivation from Proto-Italic *flōs ('flower'; cf. Latin flōs, flōris 'blossom, flower'). It is cognate with the Oscan goddess of flowers Fluusa, demonstrating that the cult was known more widely among Italic peoples. The name ultimately derives from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃ōs ('blossoming').

Festivals and temples
Flora's festival, the Floralia, was held between April 28 and May 3 and was celebrated with drinking, flowers, and entertainments (ludi). The festival was first instituted in 240 BCE, and on the advice of the Sibylline books, she was also given a temple in 238 BCE. At the festival, with the men decked in flowers, and the women wearing normally forbidden gay costumes, five days of farces and mimes were enacted – ithyphallic, and including nudity when called for – followed by a sixth day of the hunting of goats and hares. On May 23 another flower festival was held, the Rosalia.

Interpretatio graeca
Flora's Greek equivalent is the nymph Chloris, whose myths were assimilated to Flora in mythological narratives (interpretatio graeca). The Hellenized Flora was married to Favonius, the wind god also known as Zephyr, and her companion was Hercules. According to the legend, Flora ran away from Favonius, but he caught her, married her and gave her dominion over the flowers.

Music
Flora is the main character of the 1894 ballet The Awakening of Flora.

Sculpture
There are many monuments to Flora, for example in Rome (Italy), Valencia (Spain), and  Szczecin (Poland).

Primary

 * Ovid, Fasti V.193-212
 * Macrobius, Saturnalia I.10.11-14
 * Lactantius, Divinae institutions I.20.6-10