Flaminica

Ancient Roman female priesthood; mythically going back to the time of Numa. In the republic, the major 3 flaminates were filled by a flaminica married by confarreatio to a flamen; if the flaminica died, the flamen dialis, quirinalis and Martialis had to resign and the same if the flamen died.

During the Imperial era new flaminates were created to the imperial family and provincial civic ones.

The flaminica Dialis' dress: Her dress consisted of a dyed purple robe (venenato operitur); her hair was plaited in a high topnot, the tutulus and bound with a purple fillets, vittae, the rica covered the hair, then a garland of (Fest. s.v. Tutulum, Rica; Varro, De Ling. Lat. VII.44). Over the robe and rica was worn a veil, the purple venetatum and over this another veil, the fire-coloured flammeum, to indicate fecundity and her pepetual state as a nova nupta. The flaminica dialis was nova nupta, matrona and materfamilias.