Editing Roman Republic (section)

===Priesthoods===
With the abolition of monarchy, some of its sacral duties were shared by the consuls, while others passed to a Republican ''[[rex sacrorum]]'' ("king of the sacred rites"), a patrician "king", elected for life, with great prestige but no executive or kingly powers.{{sfn|Rüpke|2007c|p=223}} Rome had no specifically priestly class or caste. As every family's ''pater familias'' was responsible for his family's cult activities, he was effectively the senior priest of his own household. In the early Republic, the patricians, as "fathers" to the Roman people, claimed the right of seniority to lead and control the state's relationship with the divine. Patrician families, in particular the ''Cornelii'', ''Postumii'' and ''Valerii'', monopolised the leading state priesthoods. The patrician ''[[Flamen Dialis]]'' employed the "greater auspices" (''[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#auspicia maiora|auspicia maiora]]'') to consult with [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]] on significant matters of state.

Twelve "lesser flaminates" (''Flamines minores'') were open to plebeians or reserved to them. They included a ''Flamen Cerealis'' in service of [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]], goddess of grain and growth, and protector of plebeian laws and tribunes.{{sfn|Cornell|1995|p=264}} The priesthoods of local urban and rustic ''[[Compitalia]]'' street festivals, dedicated to the [[lares]] of local communities, were open to freedmen and slaves.{{sfn|Lott|2004|pp=31, 35|ps=, citing Cato, ''On Agriculture'', 5.3., and {{harvnb|Dion. Hal. ''Ant. Rom.''|loc=4.14.2–4}}}}.

[[File:Lucius_Caesius,_denarius,_112_BC,_RRC_298-1.jpg|thumb|[[Denarius]] of Lucius Caesius, 112–111&nbsp;BC. On the obverse is [[Apollo]], as written on the monogram behind his head, who also wears the attributes of [[Vejovis]], an obscure deity. The obverse depicts a group of statues representing the [[Lares|Lares Praestites]], which was described by Ovid.<ref>Ovid, ''Fasti'', v, 129–145</ref>{{sfn|Crawford|1974|p=312}}]]
The ''[[Lex Ogulnia]]'' (300) gave patricians and plebeians more-or-less equal representation in the augural and pontifical colleges;{{sfn|Cornell|1995|p=342}} other important priesthoods, such as the [[Quindecimviri sacris faciundis|Quindecimviri]] ("The Fifteen"), and the ''epulones''{{efn|Established in 196 to take over the running of a growing number of [[ludi]] and festivals from the ''pontifices''}} were opened to any member of the senatorial class.{{sfn|Lipka|2009|pp=171–172}} To restrain the accumulation and potential abuse of priestly powers, each ''gens'' was permitted one priesthood at a time, and the [[Roman censor|censors]] monitored the senators' religious activities.{{sfn|Lipka|2009|pp=171–172}} Magistrates who held an augurate could claim divine authority for their position and policies.{{refn|{{harvnb|Rosenberger|2007|p=299}}. {{lang|lt|Auctoritas}} ('authority') is etymologically linked to {{lang|lt|augur}}: See {{harvnb|Cornell|1995|p=341}}}} In the late Republic, augury came under the control of the ''pontifices'', whose powers were increasingly woven into the civil and military ''[[cursus honorum]]''. Eventually, the office of ''[[pontifex maximus]]'' became a ''de facto'' consular prerogative.{{sfn|Brent|1999|pages=19–20, 21–25| ps=, citing Cicero, ''De Natura Deorum'', 2.4.}}

Some cults may have been exclusively female; for example, the rites of the Good Goddess (''[[Bona Dea]]''). Towards the end of the second Punic War, Rome rewarded priestesses of [[Demeter]] from ''Graeca Magna'' with Roman citizenship for training respectable, leading matrons as ''[[Glossary of ancient Roman religion#sacerdos|sacerdotes]]'' of "Greek rites" to Ceres.{{sfn|Spaeth|1996|pages=4, 6–13}} Every matron of a family (the wife of its [[paterfamilias|''pater familias'']]) had a religious duty to maintain the household fire, which was considered an extension of [[Vesta (mythology)|Vesta's]] sacred fire, tended in perpetuity by the chaste [[Vestal Virgins]]. The Vestals also made the sacrificial ''[[mola salsa]]'' employed in many State rituals, and represent an essential link between domestic and state religion. Rome's survival was thought to depend on their sacred status and ritual purity.{{sfn|Culham|2004|p=155| ps=. See also {{harvnb|Beard|1980}} and {{harvnb|Parker|2004}}.}}