rquardt, p. 326, who notes that the Romans
themselves derived the word from _filum_, a fillet;
_e.g._ Varro, _L.L._ v. 84, "quod in Latio capite velato
erant semper, ac caput cinctum habebant _filo_." Modern
etymologists equate the word with _Brahman_.

[238] Thus the Flamen Quirinalis sacrificed at the
Robigalia, _R.F._ p. 89, and with the Pontifices and
Vestals took part in the Consualia, Marq. 335.

[239] We may note here that the most general Latin name
for a priest was _sacerdos_, which seems to have
excluded all magic, etc.; it means an office sanctioned
by the State. On the general question of the origin of
priesthood see Jevons, _Introduction_, _etc._, ch. xx.,
with whose explanations, however, I cannot entirely
agree. I should prefer to keep the word priest for an
official who sacrifices and prays to his god. In this
view I am at one with E. Meyer, _Geschichte des
Altertums_, i.^2 p. 121 foll. God and priest go together
as permanent, regular in function, and entrusted by a
community with certain duties.

[240] Marquardt, p. 180; Wissowa, _R.K._ p. 427. The
popa or victimarius is seen in many artistic
representations of sacrifice, _e.g._ Schreiber, _Atlas
of Classical Antiquities_, plate xvii. figs. 1 and 3.

[241] Jevons, ch. xx.; Frazer, _G.B._ i. 245 foll., and
_Lectures on Early History of Kingship_, Lectures ii.
and v.

[242] Virg. _Aen._ viii. 352.

[243] In a valuable paper in his _Gesammelte
Abhandlungen_ (p. 284) Wissowa says that "personal
conception of deity is absolutely strange to the old
Roman religion of the _di indigetes_." I believe this to
be essentially true; but my point is that localisation
and ritual prepared the way for the reception of Greek
ideas of personality. The process had already begun in
the religion of the house; but it was not likely there
to come in contact with foreign germs. When Janus and
Vesta, who were in every house (Wissowa, p. 285), were
localised in certain points in a city, they would be far
more likely to acquire personality, if such an idea came
in their way, than in the worship of the family.

[244] Aug. _Civ. Dei_, vii. 28, "quem alii caelum, alii
dixerunt esse mundum." Dr. Frazer, citing this passage
(_Kingship_, p. 286) in support of his view that Janus
was a duplicate of Jup