ABSTRACT
A century and a quarter of controversy is a dubious distinction for any historical problem. When opinion has been so divided as on the hastiferi and when direct evidence, though double what it was, is still restricted to a few inscriptions, it would be wise for any new appraisal to set itself a limited goal. This chapter aims to reconsider the office of the hastiferi in the light of the important discoveries within the sanctuary of Magna Mater at Ostia. What sort of college the hastiferi formed can be determined from two sources of evidence that serve to complement one another: the epigraphical record and the architectural remains at Ostia? The restoration of the mons Vaticanus by the hastiferi (H) shows a further unmistakable connection with the cult of Magna Mater. For on the Vaticanus, the plain (ager) drained by the Vaticana vallis, stood in late antiquity the Frigianum, one of the most important sanctuaries of the deity.
