batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5915-l5938
---
record_id: batch.motif.greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg-l5915-l5938
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
passage_locator:
label: SILVANUS. / TERMINUS. / CONSUS. / LIBITINA.; lines 5915-5938
start: '5915'
end: '5938'
translation: Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: The passage describes Consus as the Roman god of secret counsel who prompted
spontaneous successful ideas, with a covered altar in the Circus Maximus revealed
for the Consualia. It then describes Libitina as goddess of funerals, identified
with Venus because love was thought to extend to death; her Roman temple held
funeral equipment, a death register, and received a coin upon each death by order
of Servius Tullius.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Consus is described as the god of secret counsel.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Romans believed that spontaneous ideas in an individual's mind were prompted
by Consus, especially plans that ended satisfactorily.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: An altar to Consus stood in the Circus Maximus and was kept covered except
during the Consualia on 18 August.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:4
text: Libitina is described as the goddess who presided over funerals.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: Libitina was identified with Venus, with the stated possible reason that love
was considered to extend even to death.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:6
text: Libitina's temple in Rome, erected by Servius Tullius, contained funeral requisites
available to buy or hire.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: A register of deaths in Rome was kept in Libitina's temple, and a coin was
paid there on each person's death by command of Servius Tullius.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Consus
description: Roman god of secret counsel who was believed to prompt spontaneous
ideas and successful plans.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Libitina
description: Goddess presiding over funerals, identified in the passage with Venus.
role_refs:
- role:3
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Venus
description: Deity with whom Libitina was identified in the passage.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: Servius Tullius
description: Roman ruler credited with erecting Libitina's temple and commanding
a coin payment upon each death.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
roles:
- id: role:1
label: god of secret counsel
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Consus is explicitly named as god of secret counsel.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: divine prompter of successful plans
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: The passage states that Romans believed Consus prompted spontaneous ideas,
especially plans that resulted satisfactorily.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: role:3
label: goddess of funerals
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: Libitina is explicitly described as presiding over funerals.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: love-death identified deity
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
basis: The passage states that Libitina was identified with Venus, possibly because
love was thought to extend to death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: role:5
label: founder and regulator of funerary temple practice
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: Servius Tullius is credited with erecting the temple and commanding the payment
on each death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: covered altar
literal_form: An altar to Consus in the Circus Maximus kept always covered except
during the Consualia.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: festival uncovering
literal_form: The Consualia on 18 August, the only time when Consus's altar was
not covered.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: sym:3
label: funerary temple storehouse
literal_form: Libitina's temple containing funeral requisites that could be bought
or hired.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:4
label: death register
literal_form: A register of all deaths in Rome kept in Libitina's temple.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: sym:5
label: coin paid at death
literal_form: A piece of money paid on the death of each person by command of Servius
Tullius.
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Consus and hidden counsel cult
summary: Consus is presented as the divine source of secret counsel and spontaneous
successful plans; his covered altar in the Circus Maximus is uncovered during
the Consualia.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: scene:2
label: Libitina's funerary temple administration
summary: Libitina presides over funerals and is identified with Venus; her Roman
temple contains funeral equipment, records deaths, and receives a coin on each
death under Servius Tullius's command.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: divine prompting of secret counsel
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Consus is the god of secret counsel and is believed to prompt spontaneous
ideas, especially successful plans.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
confidence: high
cautions: The passage gives a divine function rather than a narrative episode.
- id: motif:2
label: concealed sacred altar revealed during festival
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The altar to Consus is kept covered except during his festival, the Consualia.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: The passage does not explain the ritual meaning of the covering.
- id: motif:3
label: funerary deity as administrator of death rites
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Libitina presides over funerals, and her temple stores funeral requisites
and records deaths.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
confidence: high
cautions: The passage is cultic and administrative, not a mythic narrative.
- id: motif:4
label: love extending into the realm of death
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Libitina is identified with Venus, with the suggested reason that love was
thought to extend even to death.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
confidence: medium
cautions: The stated explanation is explicitly marked as possible, so the interpretation
should remain cautious.
- id: motif:5
label: coin payment accompanying death registration
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A piece of money is paid upon each person's death in connection with the
temple register of mortality.
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage describes a civic-religious practice and does not identify
the coin as an afterlife payment.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: quote
locator: lines 5915-5917
quote_or_summary: '"Consus was the god of secret counsel."'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used for extraction evidence.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 5919-5923
quote_or_summary: Romans believed Consus prompted spontaneous ideas in an individual's
mind, especially plans that ended satisfactorily.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized evidence.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 5925-5928
quote_or_summary: An altar to Consus in the Circus Maximus was kept covered except
during the Consualia on 18 August.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized evidence.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: lines 5930-5934
quote_or_summary: Libitina presided over funerals and was identified with Venus,
possibly because love was thought to extend to the realms of death.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized evidence.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 5936-5938
quote_or_summary: Libitina's temple in Rome, erected by Servius Tullius, contained
funeral requisites, kept a death register, and received a coin on each death by
Servius's command.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/greek-roman/project-gutenberg/myths-legends-ancient-greece-rome-berens.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized evidence.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: high
notes: Extraction is based directly on the supplied passage. Motif labels are descriptive
because the passage contains cultic functions and practices rather than extended
narrative motifs. No comparison claims were added because the passage does not
itself support an external comparison.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
No available taxonomy references were applied because none clearly match the literal passage without over-interpretation.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:greek-roman-berens-myths-legends-gutenberg__l5915-l5938
passage_sha256=a9198b74144bf112fb9d8c9d92325769c7a539d7cf913535668579f04650678f