of Venus Genetrix, begun by
Julius and finished by Augustus, had its _collegium_ (Pliny, _N.H._ ii.
93), and _sodalitates_ were instituted for the cult of the deified
emperors Augustus, Claudius, &c.

We thus arrive by a second channel at the _collegia_ of the empire. Both
the history of the trade gilds and that of the religious _collegia_ or
_sodalitates_ conduct us by a course of natural development to that
extraordinary system of private association with which the empire was
honeycombed.

As has been already said of the trade gilds, the main objects of
association seem to have been to make life more enjoyable and to secure a
permanent burial-place; and of these the latter was probably the primary
or original one. It was a natural instinct in the classical as in the
pre-classical world to wish to rest securely after death, to escape
neglect and oblivion. This is not the place to explain the difficulties
which the poorer classes in the Roman empire had to face in satisfying
this instinct; but since the publication of the _Corpus Inscriptionum_
has made us familiar with the conditions of the life of these classes,
there can be no doubt that this was always a leading motive in their
passion for association. In the year A.D. 133 under Hadrian this instinct
was recognized by law, i.e. by a _senatusconsultum_ which has fortunately
come down to us. It was engraved at the head of their own regulations by
a _collegium_ instituted for the worship of Diana and Antinous at
Lanuvium, and runs thus: _"Qui stipem menstruam conferre volent in
funera, in id collegium coeant, neque sub specie ejus collegii nisi semel
in mense coeant conferendi causa unde defuncti sepeliantur"_ (_C.I.L._
xiv. 2112). From the _Digest_, 47. 22. 1, the _locus classicus_ on this
subject, we learn that this was a general law allowing the founding of
funerary associations, provided that the law against illicit _collegia_
were complied with, and it was natural that from that time onwards such
_collegia_ should spring up in every direction. The inscription of
Lanuvium, together with many others (for which see the works of Boissier
and Dill already cited), has given us a clear idea of the constitution of
these colleges. Their members were as a rule of the humblest classes of
society, and often included slaves; from each was due an entrance fee and
a monthly subscription, and a funeral grant was made to the heir of each
member at his death in order to bury him