The symbolism of nuts in ancient Roman weddings and its reception by critics

Abstract

Some verses by Virgil and Catullus are the source of a Roman nuptial rite which consisted in throwing nuts in the course of the wedding procession (deduction). Nonetheless, ancient commentators and grammarians didn’t fully understand the meaning of such symbolic act. In this article, we seek to analyse old hypotheses and their reception by later critics, especially highlighting the symbolism of fertility.