VOT on a Roman ring probably stands for "Votum." A votum was a vow made for the purpose of obtaining a specific favor from a god. Granting the request obligated the person who made the vow to fulfill his or her promise. Usually, a person made a sacrifice to the deity or presented an offering at the god's temple. Public vota after the time of Augustus normally took the form of a request for the emperor's welfare for a stated period of time. However, public vota sometimes comprised a request that the emperor would be safe during a particular journey or military campaign. A person also might make a votum concerning the emperor's state of health.