Fetiales, Or Feciales, in ancient Rome, a college of priests, consisting of 20 members belonging to the noblest families, who held office for life, with power to fill vacancies in their number, and whose duty it was to carry the complaints and grievances of the Roman people before the magistrates and rulers of offending cities and tribes, to ask redress, to declare in case of refusal whether there was sufficient reason for hostilities, to perform the religious rites of warning the enemy, of declaration of war, and of ratification of peace, and to watch over the strict observance of treaties. This institution is believed to have existed among the people of Etruria. Its introduction at Rome is attributed by some to Numa, by others to An-cus Marcius. When the policy of Rome became that of continual conquest, the institution lost its influence, preserving only its religious character. The etymology of the term is uncertain. It has been variously derived from the Latin words fides, foedus, ferio, and facto, and the Greek