September in the Ancient World

For ancient people around the Mediterranean, September marked a season of transition. As summer gave way to autumn, fields and vineyards reached their peak, and communities turned to rituals, myths, and festivals to honour the gods who sustained their harvests.

Triptolemus and the winged, serpent chariot of Demeter, Athenian red-figure skyphos C5th B.C., British Museum.

In Greece, September was closely tied to agriculture. Grapes were gathered for wine, and offerings were made to Dionysus, god of wine, and Demeter, goddess of the harvest. The myth of Dionysus and Ampelos explained the origin of the grapevine: when his beloved companion Ampelos died, Dionysus transformed him into the first vine, symbolising the cycles of life and renewal.

Demeter’s story with her daughter Persephone also reflected the season. Persephone’s descent into the underworld is illustrated through fading crops, while her return in spring promised rebirth. These themes were celebrated in the Eleusinian Mysteries, sacred rituals that offered participants both agricultural blessings and hope for life beyond death.

For the Romans, September carried civic and religious weight. Originally the seventh month septem, it became the ninth after calendar reforms but kept its old name. Unlike other months, September did not have as many rustic festivals. It was instead dominated by the Ludi Romani, the oldest Roman games dedicated to Jupiter, king of the gods. Chariot races, theatre, and feasting filled much of the month, with a grand banquet to Jupiter.

September also marked political transitions. In the Roman Republic, the Ides of September once signalled the start of the political year, observed by a ritual nail driven into Jupiter’s temple wall to record the passage of time.

In both Greece and Rome, September stood as a moment of balance: between summer and winter, growth and decline, old year and new. Whether through myths of gods and harvests or civic rituals and games, it reminded people of their dependence on cycles beyond their control.