Sacerdos Cereris, sacerdos Cerealis or sacerdos Cereris publica was the title of the Priestess of the goddess Ceres in Ancient Rome. It was one of two Roman state cults to include female priests (the other being the Vestals).

The worship of Demeter and Persephone were introduced in Rome as the worship of Ceres and Proserpina, as well as the Roman versions of Thesmophoria (sacrum anniversarium) and Eleusinian Mysteries (initia Ceres), where Roman wives and daughters sacrificed a sow and enacted the drama between the goddess and her daughter.

Sacerdos Cereris

This cult was supervised by the priestesses of Ceres. As the cult was originally Greek, the priestesses, at least initially, were selected among Greek women from Naples and Elea. They had a high position in Roman society, where they were the only priestesses aside from the Vestals who were active within a publicly funded state cult.

Sacerdos Cereris

See also

High Priestess of Demeter

Priestess of Hera at Argos

References

Meghan J. DiLuzio: A Place at the Altar: Priestesses in Republican Rome, 2020

Priestesses from the Roman Empire

Ancient Roman religious titles

Priestesses from the Roman Republic

Ancient Roman priestesses

Sacerdos Cereris