flamen
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈfleɪmən/
- Archaic
:
flamín
- The flamen performed ceremonies that were crucial to maintaining the favor of the gods.
Examples
-
In ancient Rome, a flamen was responsible for conducting rituals to honor specific deities.
-
However, while the six vestals, the flamen, and probably the sacrificing velatus represent definite historical offices, it is significant that no figures on the smaller frieze seem to have portrait features.
Academic text (1990) -
For example, among the many figures portrayed, there was no flamen Dialis in 13 B.C. (the office remained vacant until 11 B.C.).
Academic text (1990) -
In the center of the procession, the artist depicts the mature Sextus Appuleius, the flamen Iulialis, the priest of the deified Julius Caesar (Fig. 7).
Academic text (1990) -
As a high-ranking flamen, he led important festivals and offered sacrifices in front of the temple.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A person who leads religious ceremonies and worship in a church or temple
53
6.4
A religious leader who leads services and prayers in a church
Surface Forms
Etymology
Flamen comes from the Latin flamen, the name for a special priest in ancient Rome who served one god. One helpful way to remember it is that Latin flamen could also mean 'a breeze' or 'gust', so imagine a priest leading rituals with the sound of wind and breath — that image helps explain why flamen means a Roman priest with ritual duties.