1 Earliest Rome
1 Earliest Rome 1 Earliest Rome
7.9 Dreams jealousy amongst men. If the father is in bad health, he will die; for the son dreaming will be taking over his mother both as her son and as her husband. For a craftsman or artisan it is a fortunate dream, because it is usual to call one's trade ones 'mother, so having intercourse with ones mother could only mean working constantly and making a living. For political leaders and politicians it is a favourable dream also, for the mother then signifies the fatherland, just as the man who has intercourse by Aphrodites rule has power over the woman's whole body, if she consents willingly, so the dreamer will have power over the political lite of his city. 193
8 Priests and priestesses 194 There was no such thing as 'the Roman priesthood', no single definition of'the Roman priest'; there were instead many different types of priesthood at Rome, involving large numbers of different religious officials, attached to different deities and cults, with different duties, obligations and privileges. This chapter starts from the priests of the official state cult - their varied and (even to the Romans) puzzling origins (8.1), their political role (8.2) and day-to-day duties (8.3); and it examines, in particular, the only major group of female cult officials of Roman state religion, the Vestal Virgins (8.4). It then considers the position of the Roman emperor in relation to the traditional priesthoods — focusing both on the role of the emperor himself as a priest (8.5) and on new priesthoods associated with the worship of emperors (8.6). The second half of the chapter turns to alternative models of priesthood: not only those of the socalled oriental' cults at Rome - the priests of Magna Mater (8.7) and of Isis (8.8) - but also the changing pattern of aristocratic priestly office-holding in the later imperial period (8.9). The chapter ends with the conflict between paganism and Christianity and Christian attacks on pagan priests (8.10). For the role of priests in rituals, festivals and sacrifice, see 4.5; 5.4; 5.5d; 5.7b; 6.4; 6.5; 6.6a and b; for priests and officials of oriental' cults, 5.6; 6.7; 12.3; 12.4c and e; 12.5; see further (for general discussions of Roman and other ancient priestly office holding, as well as of specific priesthoods) Beard and North (1990)*; Schekf (1993b)*. 8.1 The earliest Roman priesthoods The origins of most of the priesthoods of the traditional Roman state cult are lost in the very earliest history of the city. The Romans themselves generally attributed their priestly organization to their legendary second king - Numa (1.2); but even for them (at least by the late Republic) there was much disagreement, conjecture and obscurity about the origins of particular priests and their titles.
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8 Priests and priestesses<br />
194<br />
There was no such thing as 'the Roman priesthood', no single definition of'the<br />
Roman priest'; there were instead many different types of priesthood at <strong>Rome</strong>,<br />
involving large numbers of different religious officials, attached to different<br />
deities and cults, with different duties, obligations and privileges. This chapter<br />
starts from the priests of the official state cult - their varied and (even to the<br />
Romans) puzzling origins (8.1), their political role (8.2) and day-to-day duties<br />
(8.3); and it examines, in particular, the only major group of female cult<br />
officials of Roman state religion, the Vestal Virgins (8.4). It then considers the<br />
position of the Roman emperor in relation to the traditional priesthoods —<br />
focusing both on the role of the emperor himself as a priest (8.5) and on new<br />
priesthoods associated with the worship of emperors (8.6). The second half of<br />
the chapter turns to alternative models of priesthood: not only those of the socalled<br />
oriental' cults at <strong>Rome</strong> - the priests of Magna Mater (8.7) and of Isis<br />
(8.8) - but also the changing pattern of aristocratic priestly office-holding in<br />
the later imperial period (8.9). The chapter ends with the conflict between<br />
paganism and Christianity and Christian attacks on pagan priests (8.10).<br />
For the role of priests in rituals, festivals and sacrifice, see 4.5; 5.4; 5.5d;<br />
5.7b; 6.4; 6.5; 6.6a and b; for priests and officials of oriental' cults, 5.6; 6.7;<br />
12.3; 12.4c and e; 12.5; see further (for general discussions of Roman and<br />
other ancient priestly office holding, as well as of specific priesthoods) Beard<br />
and North (1990)*; Schekf (1993b)*.<br />
8.1 The earliest Roman priesthoods<br />
The origins of most of the priesthoods of the traditional Roman state cult are<br />
lost in the very earliest history of the city. The Romans themselves generally<br />
attributed their priestly organization to their legendary second king - Numa<br />
(1.2); but even for them (at least by the late Republic) there was much disagreement,<br />
conjecture and obscurity about the origins of particular priests and<br />
their titles.
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