AR'VAL BROTHERS (Lat. &Ores Arra ics, from erruin, n field, arable land). A Roman priesthood of twelve members. whose duty it was to offer public sacrifices to insure the fertility of the fields. The place of their -minal meeting was discovered near Rome in 1570. and since then large portions of their records, originally in scribed on slabs inside the temple of Dea Dia, have been recovered, including a list of magis trates from n.e. 2 to A.D. 27. The records end in A.D. 241, and may begin as early as B.C. 21. The college does not seem to have been of importance (luring the later Republic, but to have been raised to importance by the Emperor Augustus, who was a member, as were his successors, until Gordian Ill. The members were elected for life by the college, usually on nomination of the Emperor. The officers were a mogister (master) and a Itamen ; and among the attendants were four boys, who were required to be the sons of senators, and to have living parents. Each offi cer wore a wreath of green. a white fillet, and a white toga bordered with purple. The great annual festival tinder their charge was in honor of Dea Dia, an otherwise unknown goddess, who must have originally resembled Tellus and Ceres.
It occupied three days, between the middle and end of May, and was celebrated with an elaborate ritual. On the first day was the ceremony of 'touching' samples of old and young grain; on the second the sacrifice of two white pigs, a cow, and a fat sheep, in a sacred grove beyond the city, followed by blessing or 'touching' samples of grain. and after that the dance and song of brotherhood in the temple. and the election of officers fin- the coming year. On the third day, there was a sacrifice in the city. They seem also to have taken part in the ancient Ambarvalia, which are perhaps identical with their May festi val. Other important ditties 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 third or fourth of January they recited a particular form of prayer for the ruling Emperor. and made sacri fice to the Capitoline deities. Consult: Henzen, .4 eta Fratr11117 .4 main») ( Berl i n, 1874) and Ephemeris Epigraphiea (Rome, 1872-99).