|
Roman Priests
A flamen (pl.
flamines) was the name given to a Roman priest assigned to a
state-supported god or goddess who was a member of the
College of Pontiffs.
Roman Priests - The
Pontiffs and the Pontifex Maximus
The Romans established a
college of pontiffs (religious leaders, the Roman Priests) to regulate worship
and perform the higher ceremonies. The religious ceremonies were complicated
and detailed.
The offices of the pontifices were to give judgment in all
cases relating to religion:
To inquire into the lives of
the inferior priests *** To punish inferior priests if
they saw fit *** To prescribe rules for public
worship *** To regulate the feasts,
sacrifices and all other sacred institutions.
The pontiffs were presided over by one called Pontifex
Maximus. The title of Pontifex Maximus was shrewdly assumed
by Julius Caesar to gain control of the popular worship. When the
Roman republic was
abolished, the emperors assumed the office of pontifex
maximus, or chief pontiff, deeming its powers too extensive
to be entrusted to a mere subject of the Roman state.
Roman Priests - The Augurs
The Augurs were a specific
type of one of the most powerful of all the ancient Roman
priests whose main role was to interpret the will of the
gods by studying the omens. The ceremony and function
of the augur was extremely important to the Romans and the
powerful augurs would be consulted prior to any major
undertaking in Roman society, both public and private,
including matters relating to war, commerce and religion.
The augurs would tell whether any action should be
fortunate or prejudicial.
Auguries
Roman Priests - The
Quindecemviri - Keepers of the Sibylline Books
The Sibylline Books were a
collection of oracular utterances (prophecies) which were
purchased from a sibyl (prophetess) by the last king of
Rome, Tarquinius Superbus.
These Sibylline Books were supposed to contain the fate of the Roman
empire, and therefore, in public danger or calamity and they
were frequently inspected. The Sibylline Books were
kept with great care in a stone chest under ground in the
temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. The Sibylline Books were
therefore consulted at momentous crises through the history
of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The Quindecemviri
sacris faciundis were the group of Roman Priests who had the charge of the
Sibylline Books. They held office for life, and were exempt
from all other public duties. The Quindecemviri had the
responsibility of keeping the books in safety and secrecy. The
Quindecemviri
inspected Sibylline Books on the instructions of the senate in dangerous
circumstances and subsequently performed the sacrifices
which were required. The Sibylline books were also called
Fata Sibyllina and Libri Fatales.
Roman Priests - The
Septemviri Epulones
The Septemviri Epulones were priests among the Romans who prepared
the sacred feasts at games, processions and other solemn
occasions or public banquets. A public banquet was called an
epulum.
The Septemviri Epulones also assumed the role as assistants to the pontifices.
Roman Priests - The
Fetials
The fetials were extremely
important Roman priests who were involved with various
aspects of international relations including the making of
treaties and declarations of war. The fetials consisted of
groups of up to 20 officials who were originally selected
from the most noble families. The fetials served this office
for life. They fetials could only submit advice to the
Senate they were not make binding decisions. The fetials
involvement in declarations of war involved the group
travelling to the offending state. The pater patratus, who
was the group’s representative, addressed a series of
prayers to Jupiter and announced the just cause of his
mission. If, after 30 days, no satisfaction was given, the
pater patratus denounced the offending state and returned to
report to the Senate in Rome. If the senators decided to
wage war, the pater patratus and the fetials returned to the
border of the enemy and pronounced a declaration of war,
hurling a symbolic spear across the border. If the enemy was
far away the symbolic spear was cast on to land in front of
the Temple of Bellona in Rome which was legally treated as
belonging to the enemy.
Roman Priests - Flamen or
Flamines
A flamen was the name given
to a Roman priest assigned to a god or goddess. Each flamen
was part of the Pontificial College which administered the
state sponsored religion in Rome. There were fifteen
different groups of flamines in the Roman Republic. The most
important three were the flamines maiores ( meaning major
priests), who served the three chief Roman gods of the
Archaic Triad who were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva, also
known known as the Capitoline Triad.
The flamines minores (meaning lesser priests)
served the other gods and goddesses.
Roman Priests - Flamen
Dialis
Among the flamines, or Roman priests of particular gods, the
most important was the flamen dialis who was the priest of
Jupiter. This was an office of great dignity, but subjected
to many restrictions as it was believed that his every act
or word may have had a magic significance or effect. The
restrictions concerning the flamen dialisas included that: He must always appear in
public wearing festival garb *** Fire may never be taken from
his hearth but for sacred purposes *** No other person may ever sleep
in his bed *** The cuttings of his hair and
nails must be preserved and then buried *** He must not eat or even
mention a goat or other objects of an unlucky character *** He must not ride on horseback *** He must not stay one night
outside the city of Rome.
Roman Priestesses - The
Vestal Virgins
The Vestal Virgins served
the Roman Goddess Vesta. The institution of the
Vestal Virgins was older than the city itself, and was
regarded by the Romans as the most sacred part of their
religious system. The duty of
the vestal virgins was to keep the sacred fire that burned
on the altar of Vesta from being extinguished and to
preserve a certain sacred pledge on which the very existence
of Rome was supposed to depend.
Roman Priests -
The Salii
The salii were a college of priests in ancient Rome and the
patrician priests of Mars who was the Roman God of War.
On solemn
occasions they used to go through the city dancing,
dressed in an embroidered tunic, bound with a brazen
belt, and a toga pretexta or trabea. On their heads they
wore a
cap rising to a considerable height in the form of a cone.
They wore a sword by their side and in their right hand a spear or
rod and in their left hand one of the ancilia or shields of
Mars. The most solemn procession of the salii was on the
1st March which was the festival of Mars.
Roman Priests -
The Luperci
The luperci were a college
of priests in ancient Rome and the Roman priests of Pan.
They were so called, from a
wolf, because that god Pan was supposed to keep the wolves from
the sheep. The place where Pan was worshipped was
called lupercal. The festival of Pan was called lupercalia
and was
celebrated in February. During this festival the luperci ran up and down
the city naked, having only a girdle of goat skin round
their waists, and thongs of the same in their hands with
which they struck those they met. Mark Antony was at one
time chief of the luperci.
Roman Priests - The
Feciales
Feciales (Heralds) were a
college of priests in ancient Rome whose duty it was to make
proclamation of peace and war, and confirm treaties. The head of their college was called Pater
Patratus.
All the members of this college, during the discharge of
their duties when they made peace, wore a wreath of vervain around their heads and
bore a branch of vervain in their hands. Vervain was a
symbol of peace and was also associated with divine and
other supernatural forces. It was referred to by the Romans
as "Juno's tears". Verbena is the Ancient Roman term for
sacrificial herbs which were considered very powerful. Pliny
the Elder describes verbena being presented on the altars of
Jupiter.
Roman Priests of
Agricultural Fertility - Fratres Arvales
Ambarvalia was a Roman
agricultural fertility rite held at the end of May in honour
of Ceres, the Goddess of Agriculture. The priests who
chiefly officiated at the solemnity were called fratres
arvales. The Latin word arvum means a field. The fratres arvales,
who were twelve in number, were the Roman priests
who offered up sacrifices for the fertility of the ground.
The public ceremony strated with sacrifices and moved on to
the boundaries of the city of Rome in which the twelve
fratres arvales walked at the head of a procession of the
Roman citizens who had lands and vineyards at Rome. During
the procession, prayers would be made to the goddess Ceres.
The ambervale carmen was the prayer preferred on this
occasion.
Roman Priests - Curiones
The Curiones performed religious rites in each curia. For
religious purposes each curia had its own place of worship,
called curia, which at first may have contained nothing but
an altar, afterwards a sacellum, and finally a building in
which the curiales assembled for the purpose of discussing
political, financial, religious and other matters. The
religious affairs of each curia were taken care of by a
priest, curio, who was assisted by another called curialis
Flamen.
Roman Priests
The content of this Roman Priests
category on life in Ancient Rome provides free educational
details, facts and information for reference and research
for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the
Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting
different categories containing the history, facts and
information about Ancient Rome.
|
