_Of the Aruspices, Pontifices, Quindecemviri, Vestals, &c._
The business of aruspices was to look upon the beasts offered in
sacrifices, and by them to divine the success of any enterprise.
They took their observations, 1st. From the beasts before they were cut
up. 2d. From the entrails of those beasts after they were cut up. 3d.
From the flame that used to rise when they were burning. 4th. From the
flour of bran, from the frankincense, wine and water, which they used in
the sacrifice.
The offices of the pontifices were to give judgment in all cases
relating to religion, to inquire into the lives of the inferior priests,
and to punish them if they saw occasion; to prescribe rules for public
worship; to regulate the feasts, sacrifices, and all other sacred
institutions. The master or superintendent of the pontifices was one of
the most honorable offices in the commonwealth.
The _quindecemviri_ had the charge of the sibylline books; inspected
them by the appointment of the senate in dangerous junctures, and
performed the sacrifices which they enjoined.
They are said to have been instituted on the following occasion: A
certain woman called Amalth{=e}a is said to have come to Tarquin the
proud, wishing to sell nine books of sibylline or prophetic oracles: but
upon Tarquin's refusal to give her the price she asked, she went away
and burnt three of them. Returning soon after, she asked the same price
for the remaining six: whereupon, being ridiculed by the king, she went
and burnt three more; and coming back, still demanded the same price for
those which remained. Tarquin, surprised at this strange conduct of the
woman, consulted the augurs what to do; they, regretting the loss of the
books which had been destroyed, advised the king to give the price
required. The woman therefore, having delivered the books and directed
them to be carefully kept, disappeared, and was never afterwards seen.
These books were supposed to contain the fate of the Roman empire, and
therefore, in public danger or calamity, they were frequently inspected;
they were kept with great care in a chest under ground, in the capitol.
The institution of the vestal virgins is generally attributed to Numa;
their office was to attend upon the rites of Vesta, the chief part of it
being the preservation of the holy fire: they were obliged to keep this
with the greatest care, and if it happened to go out, it was thought
impiety to light it by any common flame, but they made use of the pure
rays of the sun.
The famous palladium brought from Troy by AEneas, was likewise guarded by
them, for Ulysses and Diomedes stole only a counterfeit one, a copy of
the other, which was kept with less care.
The number of the vestals was six, and they were admitted between the
years of six and ten. The chief rules prescribed by their founder, were
to vow the strictest chastity for the space of thirty years;--the first
ten they were only novices, being obliged to learn the ceremonies and
perfect themselves in the duties of their religion; the next ten years
they discharged the duties of priestesses, and spent the remaining ten
in instructing others.
If they broke their vow of virginity, they were buried alive in a place
without the city wall, allotted for that purpose.
This severe condition was recompensed with several privileges and
prerogatives: their persons were sacred: in public they usually appeared
on a magnificent car, drawn by white horses, followed by a numerous
retinue of female slaves, and preceded by lictors; and if they met a
malefactor going to punishment, they had the power to remit his
sentence.
The _septemviri_ were priests among the Romans, who prepared the sacred
feasts at games, processions, and other solemn occasions: they were
likewise assistants to the pontifices.
The _fratres ambarvales_, twelve in number, were those priests who
offered up sacrifices for the fertility of the ground. The _curiones_
performed the rites in each curia.
_Feciales_ (_Heralds_) were a college of sacred persons, into whose
charge all concerns relating to the declaration of war or conclusion of
peace, were committed.
Their first institution was in so high a degree laudable and beneficial,
as to reflect great honour on Roman justice and moderation. It was the
primary and especial duty of the heralds, to inquire into the equity of
a proposed war: and if the grounds of it seemed to them trivial or
unjust, the war was declined--if otherwise, the senate concerted the
best measures to carry it on with spirit.
Feciales were supreme judges in every thing relating to treaties. The
head of their college was called Pater Patratus.
All the members of this college, while in the discharge of their duty,
wore a wreath of vervain around their heads; and bore a branch of it in
their hands, when they made peace, of which it was an emblem.
Their authority and respectability continued until the lust of dominion
had corrupted the policy of the Romans; after which their situations
were comparative sinecures, and their solemn deliberations dwindled into
useless or contemptible formalities.
Among the flamines or priests of particular gods, were, 1st. _flamen
dialis_ the priest of Jupiter. This was an office of great dignity, but
subjected to many restrictions; as that he should not ride on horseback,
nor stay one night without the city, nor take an oath, and several
others.
2d. The _salii_, priests of Mars, so called, because 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_;
having on their head a cap rising to a considerable height in the form
of a cone, with a sword by their side, in their right hand a spear or
rod, and in their left, one of the ancilia or shields of Mars.--The most
solemn procession of the salii was on the first of March, in
commemoration of the time when the sacred shield was believed to have
fallen from heaven in the reign of Numa.
3d. The _luperci_, priests of Pan, were so called, from a wolf, because
that god was supposed to keep the wolves from the sheep. Hence the place
where he was worshipped was called lupercal, and his festival
lupercalia, which was celebrated in February, at which 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.
It is said that Antony, while chief of the luperci, went according to
concert, it is believed, almost naked into the forum, attended by his
lictors, and having made an harangue to the people from the rostra,
presented a crown to Caesar, who was sitting there, surrounded by the
whole senate and people. He attempted frequently to put the crown upon
his head, addressing him by the title of king, and declaring that what
he said and did was at the desire of his fellow citizens; but Caesar
perceiving the strongest marks of aversion in the people, rejected it,
saying, that Jupiter alone was king of Rome, and therefore sent the
crown to the capitol to be presented to that God.