fetiales
Fetiales were a college of priests in ancient Rome tasked with the religious and legal procedures governing relations with foreign states. Central to the ius fetiale, they supervised declarations of war, the negotiation and ratification of treaties, and the official recognition of peace. The institution represents Rome’s attempt to integrate religious sanction with political decisions in foreign policy.
Traditionally associated with the early Roman state, the fetiales consisted of priests who held their offices
A typical procedure involved a magistrate appointing a fetial to travel to the adversary’s territory. The envoy
Significance and later history: The fetiales illustrate how Romans linked religious ritual to legal procedure in