▁Hor ace ' s ▁O de ▁III , ▁ 1 8 ▁all udes ▁to ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia . ▁The ▁festival ▁or ▁its ▁associated ▁rit uals ▁gave ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁Roman ▁month ▁of ▁February ▁() ▁and ▁th ence ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁month . ▁The ▁Roman ▁god ▁Febru us ▁person ified ▁both ▁the ▁month ▁and ▁pur ification , ▁but ▁seems ▁to ▁post date ▁both . ▁ ▁William ▁Shakespeare ' s ▁play ▁Julius ▁Ca esar ▁begins ▁during ▁the ▁Lu per cal ia . ▁Mark ▁Anton y ▁is ▁instruct ed ▁by ▁Ca esar ▁to ▁strike ▁his ▁wife ▁Cal p urn ia , ▁in ▁the ▁hope ▁that ▁she ▁will ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁conce ive . ▁ ▁Research ▁published ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁word ▁Le pre cha un ▁der ives ▁from ▁Lu per cus . ▁ ▁References ▁ ▁Cit ations ▁ ▁Bibli ography ▁A . ▁M . ▁Franklin , ▁The ▁Lu per cal ia ▁( do ctor al ▁dis sert ation , ▁ 1 9 2 1 , ▁ 1 0 2 pp .) ▁▁▁ ▁Lie b ler , ▁Na omi ▁Con n ▁( 1 9 8 8 ). ▁The ▁R it ual ▁Gr ound ▁of ▁Julius ▁Ca esar . ▁ ▁Paul y - W iss owa ▁ ▁Further ▁reading ▁Be ard , ▁Mary ; ▁North , ▁John ; ▁Price , ▁Simon . ▁Relig ions ▁of ▁Rome : ▁A ▁History . ▁Cambridge ▁University ▁Press , ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁vol . ▁ 1 , ▁limited ▁preview ▁online ; ▁search