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The Salii were priests of Mars; as a body they existed before the founding of the Roman republic. They were one of the lesser priesthoods of ancient Rome; they were chosen from the sons of patrician families whose parents were still living. They were appointed for life, though they were allowed to resign from the Salian priesthood if they achieved a more prestigious priesthood or a major magistracy.

Their rituals revolved around Mars and Quirinus, and were performed in March and October. These involved processions in which they donned archaic armour and weapons, and performed their sacred dance, at which they sung the Carmen Saliare proper.

Fragments of the hymn have been preserved. They say:

divum empta cante, divum deo supplicate

cume tonas, Leucesie, prae tet tremonti quot ibet etinei de is cum tonarem

cozeulodorieso. omnia vero adpatula coemisse.

ian cusianes duonus ceruses dunus Ianusve vet pom melios eum recum

While parts of this text seem to mention thunder, and Janus, and perhaps CeresFor other uses, see Ceres (disambiguation). Ceres in Roman mythology, equivalent to the Greek Demeter (which see for more details), daughter of Saturn and Rhea, wife-sister of Jupiter, mother of Proserpina by Jupiter, sister of Juno, Vesta, Neptune and Pl, the rest of the text is quite obscure.