that she now puts away childish things and devotes herself to the serious tasks of life.  She has then been carefully dressed for the occasion.  Her hair, however she may have worn it before or may wear it afterwards, is for to-day made up into six plaits or braids, which are wound into a coil on the top of her head.  As an initial rite it is parted by means of an instrument resembling a spear, a survival of the time when a bride was a prize of war, and when her long locks were actually divided by a veritable spear in token of her subjection.  Round this coiffure is placed a bridal wreath, made of flowers which she must have gathered with her own hands, and over her head is thrown a veil—­more strictly a cloth—­of some orange-yellow or “flame-coloured” material, which does not, however, like the Grecian or Oriental veil, conceal her face.  On her feet are low yellow shoes.  Meanwhile the bridegroom arrives, escorted by his friends, and he also wears a festal garland.  As with all other important undertakings of Roman life, a professional seer will be in attendance to take care that the auspices are favourable.  Peculiar portents, very unpropitious behaviour of nature, a very strange appearance in the entrails of a sacrificial victim, are omens which no properly constituted Roman can afford to overlook.  The auspices being favourable—­and there is reason to believe that no undue insistence was laid on their unpropitious aspects—­the bride is led into the reception-hall, and the contract of marriage is signed and sealed.  That there should be a dowry, and a considerable one, goes without saying.  In some cases it is actually settled on the husband, who is to all intents and purposes purchased by it; but in most it is available for his use only so long as the marriage continues unbroken.  For the rest, the wife’s property is and remains her own.  Her guardian is still her father and not her husband:  her legal connection is still with her own family and not with his.  She is a Marcia and not a Silia.  If the marriage is dissolved, at least without sufficient demonstrable provocation on her part, her father will see that her dower is paid back.  To such terms as these the parties affix their names and seals, and a certain number of friends add their signatures as witnesses.

This done, one of the younger married women present takes the bride and leads her across to Silius who holds her right hand in his.  Both repeat a prescribed formula of words, and all the company present exclaims “Good luck to you!” and offers such other congratulations as seem fit.  A wedding-dinner is held, generally, but not necessarily, in the house of the bride, and a wedding-cake, served upon bay-leaves, is cut up and divided among the guests.  It is now evening, and a procession is formed to bring Marcia home to the house of Silius.  In front will march the torchbearers and what we should call “the band,” consisting in these circumstances of a number of persons playing upon the flageolet.