God, or goddess, of shepherds, flocks and livestock. The name could actually refer to a pair of deities, one male and one female, since the Latin name can be used as a plural. His/her festival is the Palilia on April 21, a day on which cattle were driven through bonfires, reminiscent of the Celtic festival of Beltane. I have another, more detailed and different version: three bundles of the herb beanstraw are sprinkled with sulphur, incense and sheep’s blood, set on fire and leaped over three times. Another festival to Pales, apparently dedicated ‘to the two Pales’ (Palibus duobus) was held on July 7. Marcus Atilius Regulus built a temple to Pales in Rome following his victory over the Salentini in 267BC. It is generally thought to have been located on the Palatine Hill, but, being a victory monument, it may have been located on the route of the triumphal procession, either on the Campus Martius or the Aventine Hill. A ‘Pales of the alleyways’ is mentioned in Rome; it’s not sure if this is another aspect of the deity, or a separate entity
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