The Titii (or Titii sodales, later Titienses, Sacerdotes Titiales Flaviales) was a college (sodalitas) of Roman priests.[1]

Origins edit

There are two versions of how the college was established. One credits Titus Tatius with creating the college to superintend and preserve the Titienses, one of the three original tribes (tribus) in the Regal period,[2] which may have represented the Italic tribe of Sabines.[3][4] The other says that Romulus created it in honour of king Tatius, who after his death was worshipped as a god.[5]

History edit

During the Republic the Titii are no longer mentioned,[6] as the cults of all Italic tribes became gradually united into Roman religion.[7] The Titii were restored under the Empire,[8][9] but their functions were changed to conduct the worship of an emperor, like those of Sodales Augustales. Augustus may have been a member of the Titii.[10][11]

References edit

  1. ^ Galinsky, Karl; Galinsky, Floyd a Cailloux Centennial Professor of Classics and University Distinguished Teaching Professor Karl (2005-10-10). The Cambridge Companion to the Age of Augustus. Cambridge University Press. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-521-80796-8.
  2. ^ Tacitus, Annals I. 54
  3. ^ Shannon-Henderson, Kelly E. (2018-12-12). Religion and Memory in Tacitus' Annals. Oxford University Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-19-256910-3.
  4. ^ Turcan, Robert (2013-10-28). The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from Archaic to Imperial Times. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-05858-5.
  5. ^ Tacit. Hist. II. 95
  6. ^ Smith, William (2020-09-23). A Smaller Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities. BoD – Books on Demand. p. 378. ISBN 978-3-7525-1057-7.
  7. ^ Ambrosch, Studien u. Andeut., p. 192
  8. ^ Fisher, Greg (2021-09-20). The Roman World from Romulus to Muhammad: A New History. Routledge. p. 250. ISBN 978-1-000-43266-4.
  9. ^ Curtis, Lauren; Weiss, Naomi (2021-10-28). Music and Memory in the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds. Cambridge University Press. p. 108. ISBN 978-1-108-83166-6.
  10. ^ Dillon, Matthew; Garland, Lynda (2021-04-21). The Ancient Romans: History and Society from the Early Republic to the Death of Augustus. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-39134-0.
  11. ^ Bury, J. B. (2018-01-19). History of the Roman Empire 27 BC to 180 AD. Ozymandias Press. ISBN 978-1-5312-8174-8.