Flamen Martialis

In ancient Roman religion, the Flamen Martialis was the high priest of the official state cult of Mars, the god of war.^[1] He was one of the flamines maiores, the three high priests who were the most important of the fifteen flamens. The Flamen Martialis would have led public rites on the days sacred to Mars. Among his duties was the ritual brandishing of the sacred spears of Mars when the Roman army was preparing for war.

Like other flamines maiores, the high priest of Mars was a patrician and required to marry through the ceremony of confarreatio.^[2] His wife functioned as an assistant priestess with the title Flaminicia Martialis.^[3] It is not clear whether the death of his wife required him to resign his duties, as was the case for the Flamen Dialis.

^ "Worship of the Gods", Greek and Roman Religions, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 113–140, 2018-11-02, doi:10.1002/9781119392552.ch6, ISBN 978-1-119-39255-2, S2CID 239808758, retrieved 2022-12-28
^ Servius, note to Aeneid iv.104, 374; Gaius, i.112.
^ Scheid, John, An introduction to Roman religion, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2002

[1] "Worship of the Gods", Greek and Roman Religions, Hoboken, NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 113–140, 2018-11-02, doi:10.1002/9781119392552.ch6, ISBN 978-1-119-39255-2, S2CID 239808758, retrieved 2022-12-28

[2] Servius, note to Aeneid iv.104, 374; Gaius, i.112.

[3] Scheid, John, An introduction to Roman religion, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2002

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