Sacrifice and prayer

Τὰ δ’ ἄλλα, ἔφην ἐγώ, ὦ Ἰσχόμαχε, αὐτὸς ἐπαίδευσας τὴν γυναῖκα ὥστε ἱκανὴν εἶναι ὧν προσήκει ἐπιμελεῖσθαι; Οὐ μὰ Δί’, ἔφη ὁ Ἰσχόμαχος, οὐ πρίν γε καὶ ἔθυσα καὶ ηὐξάμην ἐμέ τε τυγχάνειν διδάσκοντα καὶ ἐκείνην μανθάνουσαν τὰ βέλτιστα ἀμφοτέροις ἡμῖν. Οὐκοῦν, ἔφην ἐγώ, καὶ ἡ γυνή σοι συνέθυε καὶ συνηύχετο ταὐτὰ ταῦτα;

And in other things, Ischomachus, I said, did you yourself train your wife to be capable of looking after what falls to her? No, by Zeus, Ischomachus said, not before I had sacrificed and prayed that I might succeed in teaching, and she in learning what is best for both of us. Then, I said, did your wife also sacrifice with you and pray for these same things?

huius etiam prima die ignem nouum Vestae aris accendebant, ut incipiente anno cura denuo seruandi nouati ignis inciperet. eodem quoque ingrediente mense tam in regia curiisque atque flaminum domibus laureae ueteres nouis laureis mutabantur. eodem quoque mense et publice et priuatim ad Annam Perennam sacrificatum itur, ut annare perennareque commode liceat.

On the first day of this month they also lit a new fire on the altars of Vesta, so that the duty of guarding the renewed fire would start again with the new year. As the month began, the old laurel branches in the Regia, the halls of the curiae and the houses of the flamens were also replaced with fresh ones. In this month, too, people sacrifice to Anna Perenna, both for the city and at home, so that they may get safely through the year and on through many years.

cui pulte fabacia et larido sacrificatur, quod his maxime rebus uires corporis roborentur. nam et Kalendae Iuniae fabariae uulgo uocantur, quia hoc mense adultae fabae diuinis rebus adhibentur.

She receives offerings of bean porridge and lard, because these foods above all build up the body's strength. And the first of June is commonly called the Bean Kalends, because in this month the ripe beans are used in religious rites.