he Sabine deity; and
we see that the two tribes had, before they were united, very similar
worships, which were both kept up after the union. The feriae
Latinae, or Latin festival, celebrated on Mons Albanus, is common to
the Latin tribes and commemorates their union. Jovis rises into
importance with the growth of city life; he comes to be called father
Jovis, Jupiter; there are many Jupiters, but the Jupiter of the city
of Rome is the greatest and best of all; he bears the title of
Optimus Maximus. He rises above Mars, in earlier times the first
Roman god, after whom the first month of the year was called, before
the month of Janus and the month of Februus, the purifier, were added
to it. Janus, the great state-god of opening, was the only one of
whom there was a representation; Mars was represented symbolically by
a spear, but Janus was figured as a man with two faces. Vesta, the
hearth-goddess of the state, was of course a great deity with a very
important worship.

Here we must mention a side of Roman religion which no doubt has its
roots far back in prehistoric darkness, but which could scarcely be
organised as we find it till the greater gods had risen to some
degree of power. It was believed that the gods were constantly making
signs to men, especially in occurrences which take place in the air,
such as thunder and lightning, and the flight of birds, but also in
many other ways. Some of the signs were simple, so that any one could
tell if they were lucky or the reverse, but some were not to be
interpreted except by men possessing a special knowledge of the
subject. And such men might be asked by an individual or by the state
when about to enter on any undertaking, to seek a sign from heaven
concerning that business. This became with the Romans a great and
important act, and those who had it in their hands exercised great
power.

Sacred Persons.--The priest in the earliest times was, in the
domestic religion, the paterfamilias, in that of the tribe, which was
but an extended household, the head of the leading family, and in the
city, which was constituted after the same model, the king. Religion
was the principal part of the service of the state; the king as such
had to offer sacrifice, to cause the gods to be consulted, to
prosecute and judge and punish those who had violated the laws and
came under the anger of the gods. But as the state grew larger,
various offices were set up to relieve the king of part of