In
ancient Roman religion, a
flamen was a priest assigned to one of fifteen deities with official
cults during the
Roman Republic. The most important three were the
flamines maiores (or "major priests"), who served the three chief Roman gods of the Archaic Triad. The remaining twelve were the
flamines minores ("lesser priests"). Two of the
minores cultivated deities whose names are now unknown; among the others are deities about whom little is known other than the name. During the
Imperial era, the cult of a deified emperor
(divus) also had a flamen.