... the flaminica Dialis, the regina sacrorum, and the wives of the curial priests, served as part of priestly couples. Others, such as the priestesses of Ceres and Fortuna Muliebris, were largely autonomous. The book offers a fresh understanding of how the women of ancient Rome played a leading role in public cult....

...This introductory chapter provides an overview of the role that women of ancient Rome played in public cult. Historians of Roman religion have generally supposed that women were excluded from official priestly service at Rome. In recent years, however, a number of important studies have challenged...