▁– ▁O vid ▁cred its ▁it ▁to ▁Claud ia ▁Qu inta ▁( c . ▁late ▁ 3 rd ▁century ▁BC ). ▁The ▁r ites ▁are ▁infer red ▁as ▁some ▁form ▁of ▁mystery , ▁conce aled ▁from ▁the ▁public ▁gaz e ▁and , ▁according ▁to ▁most ▁later ▁Roman ▁literary ▁sources , ▁entirely ▁forb idden ▁to ▁men . ▁In ▁the ▁Republican ▁era , ▁B ona ▁De a ' s ▁A vent ine ▁festiv als ▁were ▁probably ▁distinct ly ▁ple be ian ▁affairs , ▁open ▁to ▁all ▁classes ▁of ▁women ▁and ▁perhaps , ▁in ▁some ▁limited ▁fashion , ▁to ▁men . ▁Control ▁of ▁her ▁A vent ine ▁cult ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁cont ested ▁at ▁various ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁Mid ▁Republican ▁era ; ▁a ▁dedic ation ▁or ▁red edic ation ▁of ▁the ▁temple ▁in ▁ 1 2 3 ▁BC ▁by ▁the ▁V est al ▁Virgin ▁Lic in ia , ▁with ▁the ▁gift ▁of ▁an ▁alt ar , ▁shr ine ▁and ▁c ouch , ▁was ▁immediately ▁ann ul led ▁as ▁un law ful ▁by ▁the ▁Roman ▁Senate ; ▁Lic in ia ▁herself ▁was ▁later ▁charged ▁with ▁in ch ast ity , ▁and ▁executed . ▁By ▁the ▁Late ▁Republic ▁era , ▁B ona ▁De a ' s ▁May ▁festival ▁and ▁A vent ine ▁temple ▁could ▁have ▁fallen ▁into ▁official ▁dis use , ▁or ▁official ▁dis re put e . ▁▁▁ ▁The ▁god dess ▁also ▁had ▁a ▁Winter ▁festival , ▁att ested ▁on ▁only ▁two ▁occasions ▁( 6 3 ▁and ▁ 6 2 ▁BC ). ▁It ▁was ▁held ▁in