Arval Brethren (latin: Fratres Arvales) were a body of priests in ancient Rome who offered annual sacrifices to lares and gods to guarantee good harvests. The modern world knows them mainly for their stone-carved records of their oaths, rituals and sacrifices. City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1285 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2. ... Sacrifice (from a Middle English verb meaning to make sacred, from Old Marcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome French, from Latin sacrificium : sacer, sacred; sacred + facere, to make) is commonly known as the... Hay bales after harvest in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany In agriculture, harvesting is the process of gathering mature crops from the fields. ...

Roman legend held that the priestly college was originated by Romulus, who took the place of a dead son of his nurse Acca Laurentia, and formed the priesthood with the remaining eleven sons. They were also connected originally with the Sabine priesthood of Sodales Titii and were probably originally their counterpart among the Sabines. Romulus may refer to any of these articles: Romulus is a mythical founder of Rome, brother of Remus. ... Acca Larentia: Italian goddess of cornfields. ... Sabine (in Latin and in Italian, Sabina) is a sub-region of Latium, Italy, on the North-East of Rome toward Rieti. ...

The brethren dated back to the time of Numa Pompilius, second king of Rome, that still persisted to the imperial period. Their task was the worship of Dea Dia, an old fertility goddess and probably an aspect of Ceres. On the three days of her May festival, the Ambarvalia, they offered sacrifices and led a procession chanting the Carmen Arvale, the exact meaning of which was not longer understood in later times. Numerous attempts to translate it into modern languages in recent times are to be regarded as more or less likely approximations. The master of the college selected the exact three days with an unknown method. The celebration begun in Rome in the first day, was transferred to a sacred grove outside the city wall on the second day and ended back in the city in the third day. Numa Pompilius (April 21, 753 BC - 674 BC) succeeded Romulus as the second King of Rome. ... In Roman mythology, Dea Dia is the goddess of growth. ... Ceres, in Roman mythology, equivalent to the Greek Demeter (see which for more details), daughter of Saturn and Rhea, wife-sister of Jupiter, mother of Proserpina by Jupiter, sister of Juno, Vesta, Neptune and Pluto, and patron of Sicily. ... Ambarvalia was a Roman agricultural fertility rite held at the end of May in honour of Ceres. ... The Carmen Arvale is the preserved chant of the Arval priests or Fratres Arvales of ancient Rome. ...

Arval Brethren formed a college of 12 priests, although the archeologists have found only up to 9 names in the inscriptions at the same time. They were appointed for life and did not lose the status even in exile. Their sign was a white band with the chaplet of ears of corn. Exile is a form of punishment. ...

The Brethren assembled in the Regia. Regia in the Roman Forum The Regia is one of the oldest buildings at the Roman Forum. ...

Their other duties included ritual thanksgivings and ambarvalia, the sacrifices done at the borders of Rome. Before the sacrifice, the sacrificial victim was lead three times around a cornfield when a chorus of farmers and farm-servants danced and sung praises for Ceres and offered her libations of milk, honey and wine.

Importance of Arval Brethren apparently dwindled during the Roman Republic, but emperor Augustus revived their practices to enforce his own authority. Afterwards the emperors and senators frequented the festivities and at least emperor Elagabalus was formally accepted as a member of the Brethren. First full descriptions of their rituals also originate from his time. See also Roman Republic (18th century) and Roman Republic (19th century). ... The famous statue of Octavian at the Prima Porta Caesar Augustus (Latin:IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS) ¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known to modern historians as Octavian for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, is considered the first and one of the most... A bust depicting Elagabalus. ...

The last inscriptions about the Arval Brethren date about 325 AD. Most probably they were abolished alongside other pre-Christian priesthoods at 400 AD. Events May 20 - First Council of Nicaea - first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church: The Nicene Creed is formulated, the date of Easter is discussed. ... Events First invasion of Italy by Alaric (probable date). ...