epulo
Sign in to savethumb|right|Goddess (Vesta (mythology)|Vesta or Concordia), extending a [[patera, emblem of the Epulones]] The '''' (Latin for "feasters"; sing. epulo) was a religious organization of Ancient Rome. They arranged feasts and public banquets at festivals and games (ludi). They constituted one of the four great religious corporations (quattuor amplissima collegia'') of ancient Roman priests.
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- Establishment and influence
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thumb|right|Goddess (Vesta (mythology)|Vesta or Concordia), extending a [[patera, emblem of the Epulones]] The '''' (Latin for "feasters"; sing. epulo) was a religious organization of Ancient Rome. They arranged feasts and public banquets at festivals and games (ludi). They constituted one of the four great religious corporations (quattuor amplissima collegia) of ancient Roman priests.
==Establishment and influence== thumb|Inscription on the Pyramid of Cestius, noting that Gaius Cestius (1st century BC) was a member of the College of Epulones () and one of the septemviri Epulonum (). The college was founded in 196 BC due to a law passed by Gaius Licinius Lucullus. The need for such a college arose as the increasingly elaborate festivals required experts to oversee their organization. They were tasked with attending and managing banquets known as epulum which were dedicated to the gods. One major epulum was the epulum jovis which was dedicated to Jupiter. Previously these banquets were managed by the pontiffs.