Appius Claudius Caecus
In 312 BC, Appius Claudius Caecus, during his censorship, attempted to persuade the Potitii and the Pinarii to instruct the public slaves in these rites. The Pinarii refused, but the Potitii accepted Claudius' offer of 50,000 pounds of copper. Niebuhr explains that Claudius' intention was to introduce the worship of Hercules, formerly "sacra privata", into the religion of the Roman state, thus making them "sacra publica". However, because no flamen could be appointed for a foreign god, it was necessary to entrust the rites to slaves.