▁virt uous ▁ide ological ▁message ▁required ▁of ▁the ▁myth s , ▁particularly ▁during ▁the ▁August an ▁religious ▁re forms ▁that ▁identified ▁B ona ▁De a ▁with ▁the ▁em press ▁Liv ia . ▁Vers nel ▁( 1 9 9 2 ) ▁notes ▁the ▁elements ▁common ▁to ▁the ▁B ona ▁De a ▁festival , ▁Fa una ' s ▁myth s , ▁and ▁Greek ▁Dem eter ' s ▁Th es m op hor ia , ▁as ▁" w ine , ▁my rt le , ▁ser p ents ▁and ▁female ▁mod esty ▁b lem ished ". ▁ ▁Cult ▁them es ▁in ▁modern ▁scholar ship ▁B ona ▁De a ' s ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁known ▁festival ▁in ▁which ▁women ▁could ▁gather ▁at ▁night , ▁drink ▁strong , ▁sacrific ial - grade ▁wine ▁and ▁perform ▁a ▁blood ▁sacrifice . ▁Although ▁women ▁were ▁present ▁at ▁most ▁public ▁cer emon ies ▁and ▁festiv als , ▁the ▁religious ▁authorities ▁in ▁Roman ▁society ▁were ▁the ▁male ▁pont iffs ▁and ▁aug urs , ▁and ▁women ▁could ▁not ▁law fully ▁perform ▁r ites ▁at ▁night , ▁unless ▁" of fer ed ▁for ▁the ▁people ▁in ▁proper ▁form ". ▁Women ▁were ▁allowed ▁wine ▁at ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁religious ▁occasions . ▁At ▁other ▁times , ▁they ▁might ▁drink ▁weak , ▁swe eten ed , ▁or ▁dil uted ▁wine ▁in ▁moder ation ▁but ▁Roman ▁traditional ists ▁believed ▁that ▁ ▁in ▁the ▁more ▁distant ▁and ▁virt uous ▁past , ▁this ▁was ▁forb idden , ▁" for ▁fear ▁that ▁they ▁might ▁lap se ▁into ▁some ▁dis gra ce ful ▁act