Arval Brothers
Preserved but no longer current.
An ancient Roman college of priests, revived by Augustus. It consisted of 12 priests (including the Emperor), whose sole duty was to preside at the festival of Dea Dia in May; they worshipped in the groves of that goddess on the Via Campana, 5 miles from Rome.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Arval Brothers” mean?
An ancient Roman college of priests, revived by Augustus. It consisted of 12 priests (including the Emperor), whose sole duty was to preside at the festival of Dea Dia in May; they worshipped in the groves of that goddess on the Via Campana, 5 miles from Rome.
Is “Arval Brothers” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.