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Favonius Cornelius

The Arval Brethren

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One of the more unknown priestly colleges were the Arval Brethren, a college of twelve who's duty it was to perform the sacred rites required to ensure bountiful fertility of the fields. This priesthood is as old as Rome, yet an obscure one because it faded from use not long into the foundation of the Republic, but was later revitalized by the exacting Agustus who let no aspect of Rome's religion falter. It may have in fact lasted until the end of the Pagan religions in Rome at the end of the empire, and the Emperor himself was always counted as a member of the college.

 

What is known of their duties generally lay with the celebration of festivals to gods responsible for agricultural bounty. One example includes the significant three day festival to Dea Dia (Ceres) held in May which was announced from the Temple of Concord. Also later in the empire sacrificial rites called the Ambarvalia were performed on the traditional borders of Roman territory, a few miles out of the city walls, and also lustratio rites carried out for individuals and their appeals to the gods for bounty.

 

The Arval brothers kept their position in the priestly college for life and wore a corn or grain shaped garland fastened with a white ribbon around their heads to signify their important roles. There remains with us today one of their original chants to call upon the favor of Mars (in old Roman times also associated with agriculture), and is the oldest record of a Roman incantation:

 

Help us Lares! Help us Lares! Help us Lares!

 

Marmar, let not plague or ruin assail more folk. Marmar, let not plague or ruin assail more folk. Marmar, let not plague or ruin assail more folk.

 

Be full satisfied, fierce Mars. Leap the threshold. Halt. Beat the ground. Be full satisfied, fierce Mars. Leap the threshold. Halt. Beat the ground. Be full satisfied, fierce Mars. Leap the threshold. Halt. Beat the ground.

 

By turns call on all the gods of Sowing. By turns call on all the gods of Sowing. By turns call on all the gods of Sowing.

 

Help us, Marmor! Help us, Marmor! Help us, Marmor!

 

Bound, bound and bound again, bound and bound again!

 

 

 

Sources: LacusCurtius, and 'Roman Religion' by Valerie M. Warrior

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So what happens when there is a famine? Do they get killed?

 

Probably the Sibylline Books are consulted through the college of twelve for additional rites of fertility. :(

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If you watched the last episode of Rome, I do believe that Arval Brethren are featured. Note the guy walking around the plot with his chime and garland, I believe he is performing a lustratio.

Edited by Favonius Cornelius

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If the emperor was included among the members of the priesthood, then I doubt they would be killed, he'ld be just as much to blaim.

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If the emperor was included among the members of the priesthood, then I doubt they would be killed, he'ld be just as much to blaim.

 

I'm not sure in what context you mean Onasander...in general, or are you thinking of a specific instance where the priesthood could be in danger?

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If the Arval Brethren was revived by Augustus do we know roughly when they went of use during the Republic?

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My sources don't give a date for the disuse of the cult.

 

In general, though, most of the cults of ancient Italian agricultural deities faded into obscurity by the late Republic as Rome lost its agricultural character. I suspect Augustus had no specific reverence for these cults, it was merely a part of his plan to appear as though he were restoring the lost traditions of the early Republic. To the extent Augustus had sincere religious sympathies, they were reserved for the Hellenized gods of the Julian clan and his own imperial cult.

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My sources don't give a date for the disuse of the cult.

 

In general, though, most of the cults of ancient Italian agricultural deities faded into obscurity by the late Republic as Rome lost its agricultural character. I suspect Augustus had no specific reverence for these cults, it was merely a part of his plan to appear as though he were restoring the lost traditions of the early Republic. To the extent Augustus had sincere religious sympathies, they were reserved for the Hellenized gods of the Julian clan and his own imperial cult.

 

Tend to agree with you on the general piety thing about Augustus. Shame we don't know about the Arval brethren I have tried to find out myself and failed. There was an astonishing amount of religion involved with things rural though. Pliny writes extensively on the subject. I sometimes wonder whether the subsistance farmers of the italian countryside were very religious and superstitious or whether, in fact, they thought that religion was fine for them as what had time for it! I am not sure we will ever know the answer but it is intriguing.

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i would be inclined to suggest that Augustus revives the Arval brethren for slightly different reasons. Obviously it does fit in with his general claims to be a pious restorer of roman religion, but one does wonder why the Fratres Arvales? they were an obscure cult (only recored once by varro in a treatise on literature, from what i remember) surely many far more important revivals were carried out, and some far more important in roman terms, like the bizare flamen dialis

 

the fratre arvales were essentially turned into a college of very high status under Augustus, and allowed honours to be given out to his supporters who might not otherwise be 'socially eligible' for a higher priesthood. in essence they serve the same purpose as the augustales in the provinces and the vicimagistri at Rome, they allow for social inclussion of groups who would otherwise be slightly outside the new order and aim to create a network of loyal and eligbible subjects to help in the running of the empire.

 

Also worth noting is how under Augustus they fratres arvales take on a number of new roles celebrating festivals related to the imperial family. cf Price CAH X 2nd ed.

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