Sodales Augustales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sodales Augustales (or Sacerdotes Augustales[1], or simply Augustales[2], Classical Latin: Avgvstales[3]) was an order of Roman priests instituted by Tiberius to attend to the worship of Augustus and Iulii. They were chosen by lot among the principal persons of Rome, and were twenty one in number, to which were added Tiberius, Drusus, Claudius and Germanicus, as members of the imperial family.[4] Women even were appointed priestesses of Augustus, this practice probably took its origin from the appointment of Livia by a decree of the Senate to be priestess to her deceased husband.[5] A member of Augustales was sometimes a flamen also.[6]
