ARVAL BROTHERS, a priesthood of 12 members anciently elected for life from the highest ranks in Rome, and including the emperor when there was one. Their duty was to offer yearly public sacrifice for the fertility of the fields. and the custom is said to have originated with Acca Larentia, foster-mother of Romulus, who, with her twelve sons, instituted such a festival. Another legend is that the foster-mother lost one of her sons, and Romulus permitted her to adopt him in his place, calling the twelve " fratrem Arvales." Though little is said of the A. B. by Roman orators, their records up to a high antiquity, as given by themselves, were inscribed on stone. The college consisted of a master, vice-master, flainen, praetor, and eight members; and among their attend ants were four boys, who were required to be sons of senators, and to have living parents. Each officer wore a wreath of green, a white fillet, and a white toga bordered with pur ple. The great annual festival under their charge was in honor of Dea Dia, who seems to have resembled the goddess Ops, wife of • Saturn. It occupied three days, between
the middle and end of May. On the first day was the ceremony of "touching" samples of old and young grain; on the second day the sacrifice of two white pigs, a cow, and a fat sheep, in a sacred grove beyond the city, followed by blessing, or "touching," sam ples of grain brought by the people, and after that the dance and song of brotherhood in the temple, and the election of officers for the coming year. On the third day there was a sacrifice in the city. The minor duties of the brothers were to offer sacrifice on the birthday of an emperor, or at the beginning of a consulate, or for escape from danger, or at the starting or ending of a journey, or on occasion of any important event touching the imperial family. On the 3d of Jan..they recited a particular form of prayer for the ruling emperor, and made sacrifice to the male and female deities.