Arvali
Definition
A name attributed to the members of an elite priestly college in Ancient Rome, composed of 12 patrician dignitaries, officially known as 'Frates Arvales' (Arval Brothers). This structural sacred brotherhood held the fundamental role of offering sacrifices and reciting ritual hymns dedicated to the goddess Dea Dia, a divinity of the earth and agricultural fertility, with the primary purpose of ensuring the prosperity of crops throughout the Roman state.
Bilingual Equivalents
- Arvali
- Arval Brothers
Grammatical & Source Details
| Inflection Type | Masculine plural noun, maintaining historic structural agreement in classical historical contexts. |
| Formation | Direct cultural borrowing from Latin 'Arvales', etymologically linked to the noun 'arvum' (meaning cultivated field). |
| Spelling / Pronunciation | [ar.ˈva.li] |
| Source | Oxford Classical Dictionary of Roman Institutions |
Contextual Usage Examples
RO: În fiecare lună mai, preoții arvali organizau o procesiune fastuoasă în afara zidurilor Romei pentru a binecuvânta ogoarele.
EN: Every May, the Arval priests organized a lavish procession outside the walls of Rome to bless the fields.
RO: Arheologii au descoperit tăblițe de marmură care conțineau cronicile anuale detaliate ale deciziilor luate de colegiul de arvali.
EN: Archaeologists discovered marble tablets containing the detailed annual chronicles of the decisions made by the college of Arvali.
RO: Împăratul Augustus a restaurat vechea frăție de arvali pentru a revigora tradițiile religioase tradiționale ale republicii.
EN: Emperor Augustus restored the ancient brotherhood of Arvali to revive the traditional religious customs of the republic.
Idioms & Phrases
Colegiul de Arvali / College of the Arval Brothers
RO: Structura administrativ-religioasă formală formată din cei doisprezece preoți însărcinați cu cultele agrare.
EN: The formal administrative-religious structure consisting of the twelve priests in charge of agricultural cults.
Imnul Arvalilor / Song of the Arval Brothers / Carmen Arvale
RO: Unul dintre cele mai vechi texte scrise în limba latină arhaică, cântat de preoți în timpul dansurilor ritualice.
EN: One of the oldest surviving written texts in archaic Latin, sung by the priests during ritualistic dances.
Sacrificiu efectuat de Arvali / Sacrifice performed by the Arvali
RO: Ceremonie religioasă solemnă ce implica jertfirea de animale pentru purificarea simbolică a pământului.
EN: A solemn religious ceremony involving the sacrifice of animals for the symbolic purification of the earth.
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