Quinquātrūs, ŭum, f., and Quin-quātrĭa, ōrum and ĭum, n. [quinque, as falling on the fifth day after the ides; cf. Varr. L. L. 6, § 14 Müll.; Fest. p. 254 sq. ib.; Gell. 2, 21, 7],
a festival celebrated in honor of Minerva , the festival of Minerva (of these there were two, the greater, majores, held from the 19th to the 23d of March; and the lesser, minores or minusculae, on the 13th of June): Quinquatrus, hic dies unus, a nominis errore observatur proinde ac sint quinque. Dictus ut ab Tusculanis post diem sextum Idus similiter vocatur Sexatrus, et post diem septimum Septimatrus; sic hic, quod erat post diem quintum Idus Quinquatrus, Varr. L. L. 6, § 14 Müll. This is described by Ov. F. 3, 809 sqq.; Plaut. Mil. 3, 1, 97: Quinquatribus frequenti senatu causam tuam egi, Cic. Fam. 12, 25, 1: pridie Quinquatrus, id. Att. 9, 13, 2: Quinquatribus ultimis, Liv. 44, 20; Hor. Ep. 2, 2, 197.— In the form Quinquatria: celebrabat et in Albano quotannis Quinquatria Minervae, Suet. Dom. 4: sollemnia Quinquatrium, id. Ner. 34: nos Quinquatriis satis jucunde egimus, August. ap. Suet. Aug. 71; Ov. Am. 1, 8, 65.— Of the lesser Quinquatrus: Quinquatrus minusculae dictae Juniae Idus ab similitudine majorum, quod tibicines tum feriati vagantur per urbem et conveniunt ad aedem Minervae, Varr. L. L. 6, § 17 Müll.; cf. Fest. p. 149 ib.: et jam Quinquatrus jubeor narrare minores, Ov. F. 6, 651.