Talk:Bonus Eventus

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THE GODDESS FORTUNA IN IMPERIAL ROME:CULT, ART, TEXT by Darius Andre Arya(2002)states on p.177 that Bonus Eventus was the Latin translation for both Agathos Daimon and Triptolemus. 64.90.143.2 (talk) 01:13, 30 November 2010 (UTC)Samgwan Spiess

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Following my comment here is the text of the original article. I'm in the process of rewriting it through an effort to use accessible, verifiable sources; contemporary English; and a more conventional wiki-format. I post the entry here in case there's info others would wish to rescue. Cynwolfe (talk) 21:42, 13 February 2011 (UTC)

Bonus Eventus - Good success was honoured in Ancient Rome with a peculiar worship. On a denarius of Scribonius Libo, gens occur these abbreviated words, owing no doubt (says Eckhel, v 303) to the Roman practice of consecrating every thing capable of producing good and evil, as Fortune, Hope, Genius, etc. And thus with Eventus; just as Lucretius enumerates among events, Slavery, Liberty, Riches, Povery, War, Peace (L i v 456). Eventus, according to Cicero's definition (De Invent. Rhet. i c 28), is "the issue of any matter respecting which we generally inquire, what has resulted, or may result, or will ultimately result, from such circumstances." Thus if anything turned out well it was attributed to Bonus Eventus; that it was considered to be of the same nature as Felicitas, is proved by a denarius engraved in Morell. Thesaur. amongst the incerti, Tab ii D on which near a female head is inscribed BON EVENT ET FELICITAS. Eckhel expresses his own opinion to be that "this Genius of the Romans is the same as the 'ΑΝΤΟΜΑΤΙΑ of the Greeks; and he quotes what Plutarch says of Timolean, "Having built in his house a shrine to 'ΑΝΤΟΜΑΤΙΑ, he sacrificed to her; but the house itself he dedicated to the sacred ∆ΑΙΜΩΥ (genius). And Nepos also, in his life, corroberates the fact of that great reverence, which Timolean paid the above named deification of chance or fortunate events. The reason for this conduct was, that whatever he undertook he prospered. Consequently, 'ΑΝΤΟΜΑΤΙΑ is niether more nor less than the spontaneous agency of Fortune, that is to say Eventus, and Bonus Eventus, because thatnks were returned to it; and it was believed to be presided over by a good or sacred Genius, by the Greeks styled ΑΓΑΘΟΣ, or ΓΕΠΟΣ ∆ΑΙΜΩΥ."

Bonus Eventus, according to Publius Victor, had a temple in the ninth quarter of Rome; and Ammianus also mentions it. On consular denarii the female sex is assigned to Eventus (see Scribonia gens). Also on an autonoomous, or family denarius of Galba. But on those of other emperors down to the time of Gallienus, this deity is represented as of the male sex.