Fratres Arvales

The Arvals are twelve priests assigned to the Cult of Ceres. They call themselves "brothers" because they consider themselves children of Mother Earth. To signify such ancestry, they wear a wheat-ear crown interwoven with a white ribbon.
This order was established by Romulus in the first years of the City to ensure the protection of the fields, and consequently guarantee that the nascent people would always have the necessary sustenance. The Arvals are always chosen from among the patricians or from among plebeians of very ancient and renowned families. The appointment is for life, and when one of them dies a substitute is immediately nominated. The number must be constant, because each of them represents one of the twelve months of the year. The order is led by the magister, who is elected every year and who nominates the priests when necessary. 
The Arvals assemble in the great temple of Ceres on the Aventine Hill. From the second half of May, the Arvals perform a great quantity of rituals aimed to protect the fields that are about to bear fruit. They go down the roads that come out of the City and travel them until the fifth mile, performing at fixed intervals ritual dances accompanied by what people think to be a simple liturgical chant, the Carmen Arvale, but which is actually a protection spell. These processions are always accompanied by festive farmers, who offer fresh milk, honey, and wine to Ceres and her priests. These are occasions of great joy, and village festivals are organized for each passage of the Arval Brethren.