e is good
reason to believe that in all these cases the original idea was the
same--that they took part, directly or indirectly, as primary or
secondary agents in sacrificial acts. The Salii and the augurs wore the
_trabea_, which was of purple or red, or both; the flamines had a
special robe about the colour of which we are not informed, but the
Flaminica Dialis wore a purple garment called _rica_, and a red veil
called _flammeum_, which was also worn by the bride in the religious
ceremony of marriage. Whether we are to see in this prevalence of red or
purple any symbolism of the shedding of blood in sacrifice I cannot be
sure, but the inference is a tempting one, and has been put forward with
confidence by some recent investigators. It is worth noting that the
Vestals, who did not sacrifice animals, wore white only.[360] If the red
colour has anything to do with blood-shedding, it is probably more than
merely symbolic; it may mean that the sacrificing priest partakes of
that life and strength which he passes on to the god through the blood,
that is the life, of the victim.[361]

The Roman priests had also other insignia, of which the original meaning
is less evident. The Flamen Dialis, and probably all the flamines, wore
a cap with an olive-twig fastened to the top of it; this is well shown
in the sculptures of the Ara Pacis of Augustus.[362] The flaminicae had
a head-dress called _tutulus_, which consisted in part, at least, of a
purple fillet or ribbon. The flamines, when actually sacrificing, wore a
_galerus_, or hood of some kind made of the skin of a victim, and the
Flamen Dialis in particular wore one made of the skin of a white heifer
sacrificed to Jupiter.[363] In these various ways all priests were
outwardly shown to be holy men, _sacerdotes_, marked off from the
_profanum vulgus_. Only for the pontifices we have no information as to
a special dress, just as we also have none as to their inauguratio.[364]

Thus there is no question that the priests were chosen and separated
from the people in such a way as to meet with the approval of the gods;
and even the acolytes, _camilli_ and _camillae_, boys and girls who
frequently appear in sacrificial scenes on monuments, wore the _toga
praetexta_, and, in order to be acceptable, must be the children of
living parents.[365] This rule has lately been the subject of a
discussion by Dr. Frazer, on which he has brought to bear, as usual, a
great range of learning. He re