{{Expand Swedish, Sacerdos Bonae Deae, date=January 2021
Sacerdos Bonae Deae or Damiatrix was the title of the Priestess of the goddess
Bona Dea
Bona Dea (; 'Good Goddess') was a List of Roman deities, goddess in Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion. She was associated with chastity and fertility among married Women in ancient Rome, Roman women, healing, and the protection of t ...
in
Ancient Rome
In modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman people, Roman civilisation from the founding of Rome, founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the Fall of the Western Roman Empire, collapse of the Western Roman Em ...
.
As Damiatrix she officiated over the famous December rites reserved for women. She also performed secret sacrifices and rites to benefit the welfare of the city in regard the health and fertility. The sanctuary of the goddess provided herbal medicine and functioned as a pharmacy, and the priestess are likely to have been expected to have knowledge within pharmacy and herbal medicine.Meghan J. DiLuzio : A Place at the Altar: Priestesses in Republican Rome ' She was the head of a large sanctuary staff including priestesses of lower rank called ministrae, who performed smaller ceremonies, as well as assistants. Antistites managed the temple pharmacy. Priestesses of lower rank could be freedwomen.