Quirinus

Quirinus is an ancient Roman deity associated with the Roman state, its community, and martial protection. In early Roman religion he represented the safeguarding of civic order and the collective life of the Roman people. In later tradition Quirinus was identified with Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, so that the two were worshipped as a single figure—Quirinus Romulus or simply Quirinus—embodying the city’s safeguarded existence and military strength.

The name and origins of Quirinus are not entirely clear. A common, though debated, explanation links Quirinus to an Italic or Sabine term such as Quiris, perhaps referring to a spear-bearing or warlike aspect. The exact etymology remains uncertain, and scholarship sometimes emphasizes the cult’s integration into the broader Roman religious framework rather than a single, definitive origin.

Worship and cult practices centered on the state’s religious life. The Temple of Quirinus stood on the Forum Romanum, though the precise location and ruins are debated by archaeologists. Quirinus also had a formal priestly office, the Flamen Quirinalis, one of the principal flamines responsible for the rites of Quirinus. The festival Quirinalia, observed on February 17, honored Quirinus and involved purification and renewal rites for the Roman community.

Legacy of Quirinus extends beyond ritual; the name contributed to terms such as Quirites, a designation for Roman citizens, and it gave the Quirinal name to the hill that would later influence the site of the Quirinal Palace in Rome. Over time, the distinct cult of Quirinus waned, though the deity remained a significant marker of Rome’s early religious and political identity.