ancient Roman priest

The priest (in Latin sacerdos, plural sacerdotes) is, in Roman religion, an official figure responsible for the care, supervision, and control of everything concerning the gods, any object or being belonging to them, any act directed towards them (offerings, sacrifices), and any phenomenon considered a particular sign of their will. The word sacerdos comes from the adjective sacer (“sacred”) and dos, a word related to the root da, which expresses the idea of giving. The sacerdos did not have, in ancient Rome, exclusivity over the practice of the usual rites of worship, such as prayers, libations, sacrifices, vows, dedications, etc., whether in their private capacity or on behalf of the state. Thus, magistrates performed or presided over religious ceremonies on behalf of the state, and head...