Roman legend held that the priestly college was originated by Romulus, who took the place of a dead son of his nurse Acca Laurentia, and formed the priesthood with the remaining eleven sons.
The brethren dated back to the time of Romulus, first king of Rome, even though it can be inferred from the story of Acca Larentia they existed before the founding of the city,[REF] and persisted to the imperial period.