▁hill . ▁In ▁Pl ut arch ' s ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia , ▁written ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁Empire , ▁... many ▁of ▁the ▁noble ▁youth s ▁and ▁of ▁the ▁magistr ates ▁run ▁up ▁and ▁down ▁through ▁the ▁city ▁n aked , ▁for ▁sport ▁and ▁laugh ter ▁striking ▁those ▁they ▁meet ▁with ▁sh ag gy ▁th ongs . ▁And ▁many ▁women ▁of ▁rank ▁also ▁pur pos ely ▁get ▁in ▁their ▁way , ▁and ▁like ▁children ▁at ▁school ▁present ▁their ▁hands ▁to ▁be ▁struck , ▁bel ieving ▁that ▁the ▁pre gn ant ▁will ▁thus ▁be ▁helped ▁in ▁delivery , ▁and ▁the ▁bar ren ▁to ▁pre gn ancy . ▁The ▁Lu per ci ▁completed ▁their ▁circuit ▁of ▁the ▁Pal at ine , ▁then ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁Lu per cal ▁cave . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Febru a ▁was ▁of ▁ancient ▁and ▁possibly ▁Sab ine ▁origin . ▁After ▁February ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁calendar , ▁Febru a ▁occurred ▁on ▁its ▁fif teenth ▁day ▁( ). ▁Of ▁its ▁various ▁rit uals , ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁those ▁of ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia . ▁The ▁Rom ans ▁themselves ▁attributed ▁the ▁inst ig ation ▁of ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia ▁to ▁Ev ander , ▁a ▁culture ▁hero ▁from ▁Arc ad ia ▁who ▁was ▁cred ited ▁with ▁bringing ▁the ▁Olympic ▁p ant he on , ▁Greek ▁laws ▁and ▁alphabet ▁to ▁Italy , ▁where ▁he ▁founded ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁P all ant ium ▁on ▁the ▁future ▁site ▁of ▁Rome , ▁ 6 0 ▁years ▁before ▁the