Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary

I.“FILAMEN,” Inscr. Grut. 227, 6), mis, m. same root with fla-gro, q. v.; lit., he who burns, sc. offerings, Corss. Ausspr. 1, 84, 146; cf. 2, 86 note; Momms. Röm. Gesch. 1, 155; and Georg Curtius Gr. Etym. p. 301, a priest of one particular deity, a flamen (acc. to a false etym. of Varr. and Fest., v. infra, so called from the fillet which he wore around his head). Festus enumerates from the highest flamen, that of Jupiter, to the lowest, that of Pomona, fifteen of these priests; “in the times of the emperors, the deified emperors and other deified persons also had their separate flamens assigned to them: flamines, quod in Latio capite velato erant semper, ac caput cinctum habebant filo, flamines dicti. Horum singuli cognomina habent ab eo deo, quoi sacra faciunt,” Varr. L. L. 5, § 84 Müll.: flamen Dialis dictus, quod filo assidue velatur, indeque appellatur flamen, quasi filamen, Paul. ex Fest. p. 87, 15 Müll.; cf. also Serv. Verg. A. 8, 664: “maximae dignationis Flamen Dialis est inter quindecim flamines, et cum ceteri discrimina majestatis suae habeant, minimi habetur Pomonalis, quod Pomona levissimo fructui agrorum praesidit pomis,” Fest. p. 154, 27 sq.; cf. “Müll. Comm. ad h. l. p. 385, b: DIVIS ALIIS ALII SACERDOTES, OMNIBVS PONTIFICES, SINGVLIS FLAMINES SVNTO,” Cic. Leg. 2, 8, 20: “(Numa) flaminem Jovi assiduum sacerdotem creavit ... huic duos flamines adjecit, Marti unum, alterum Quirino,” Liv. 1, 20, 2; cf. Cic. Rep. 2, 14; Aug. Civ. D. 2, 15; cf. “also: est ergo flamen, ut Jovi, ut Marti, ut Quirino, sic divo Julio M. Antonius, etc.,” Cic. Phil. 2, 43, 110: “Tiberius flamines sibi decerni prohibuit,” Suet. Tib. 26; v. Gell. 10, 15: “FLAMEN D. AVGVSTI,” Inscr. Orell. 311; 488; cf. “AVGVSTALIS,” ib. 643; 2366: “DIVI CLAVDII,” ib. 2218; 3651: “PERPETVVS NERONIS AVG.,” ib. 2219: “SALVTIS AVGVSTAE,” ib. 1171: “ROMAE,” ib. 2183: “flaminem prodere,” Cic. Mil. 10, 27: “inaugurare flaminem,” Liv. 27, 8, 4.