Quinquatries

The Quinquatria or Quinquatrus was a festival in ancient Roman religion, sacred to the Goddess Minerva, celebrated 19–23 March. According to Varro, it was so called because it was held on the fifth (quinqu-) day after the Ides, in the same way as the Tusculans called a festival on the sixth day after the Ides Sexatrus or one on the seventh Septimatrus. Both Varro and Festus state that the Quinquatrus was celebrated for only one day, but Ovid says that it was celebrated for five days, hence the name: on the first day no blood was shed, but that on the last four there were contests of gladiators