Book 4
6
Inasmuch as the senate called some victims succidaneae, it is often inquired what that word means. Also in the comedy of Plautus which is entitled Epidicus I hear that inquiry is made about that same word, which occurs in these verses: 139 f.
6
Now it is said that the victims were called succidaneae —which is equivalent to succaedaneae, the diphthong ae, according to the custom in compound words, being changed to i—because if the expiation was not effected by the first victims, other victims were brought and killed after them; and since these, after the first had already been offered, were substituted for the sake of making atonement and were slain in succession to the others, they were called succidaneae, From sub and caedo. the letter i, of course, being pronounced long; for I hear that some barbarously shorten that letter in this word.
6
Moreover, it is on the same linguistic principle that praecidanea is applied to those victims which are offered on the day before the regular sacrifices. Also the sow is called praecidalea From prae and caedo, slay beforehand. which it was usual to offer up to Ceres before the harvesting of the new crops, for the sake of expiation in case any had failed to purify a defiled household, or had performed that rite in an improper manner.
