adjective
- relating to or denoting a member of a college of Roman priests who conducted diplomatic negotiations and declared war or peace
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to the Roman institution
Examples
- The fetial priests of ancient Rome played a crucial role in formalizing international relations.
- Fetial law governed the procedures by which Rome declared war on neighboring states.
- The fetial college maintained strict protocols for diplomatic ceremonies.
- Roman fetial officers were responsible for ensuring that wars were declared with proper religious sanction.