Pontifex maximus facts for kids
The pontifex maximus was a very important religious leader in ancient Rome. The name means "supreme pontiff" or "greatest priest" in Latin. This person was the chief high priest of a group called the College of Pontiffs. It was the most important job in the ancient Roman religion.
At first, only patricians (people from wealthy, old Roman families) could hold this position. But in 254 BC, a plebeian (a common person) became the pontifex maximus for the first time. Even though it was the most powerful religious role, it was officially ranked fifth among the highest Roman priests.
Over time, this religious job became more involved in politics. When Augustus became the first Roman emperor, the title of pontifex maximus was taken over by the emperor. Emperors continued to use this title for a long time. Later, some emperors changed the title slightly to pontifex inclytus, meaning "honourable pontiff."
The word pontifex is still used today for Christian bishops, especially the Bishop of Rome, who is the pope. The title pontifex maximus is often seen on buildings and coins related to popes from the Renaissance period and modern times. The Pope's official list of titles includes "supreme pontiff."
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What Does "Pontifex" Mean?
The exact meaning of the word "pontifex" is a bit of a mystery, but it has been used since Roman times. Many people believe it comes from the Latin words for "bridge" (pons) and "maker" (facere). So, pontifex would mean "bridge-builder." And "maximus" means "greatest."
This "bridge-builder" idea might have been literal at first. Building bridges over the Tiber River in Rome was a very important job. Only respected leaders with religious duties were allowed to "disturb" the sacred river. But the term also had a symbolic meaning: the pontiffs were seen as building a "bridge" between the gods and humans. They helped people connect with the divine.
Some ancient writers, like Dionysius of Halicarnassus and Marcus Terentius Varro, supported the "bridge-builder" idea. Other theories suggest it might have come from an Etruscan word or even a Sabine language word meaning a member of a group of five.
In ancient Greek writings, pontifex maximus was translated as "archpriest" or "greatest archpriest." This Greek term was also used in the Bible to refer to the High Priest of Israel. In Latin translations of the New Testament, pontifex was sometimes used for the Jewish high priest. Later, from about the 3rd century AD, it began to be used for Christian bishops.
Early Days: Kings and Priests
The group of priests called the College of Pontiffs was the most important religious body in ancient Rome. People believed that the second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius, created this college and the job of pontifex maximus.
Much of what we know about Rome's early kings is like a legend or myth. The college probably advised the king on religious matters. The pontifex maximus was the head of this college, and all pontiffs held their job for life.
According to the historian Livy, King Numa Pompilius set up Rome's religious rules. This included how and when to make sacrifices, managing religious money, and overseeing all public and private religious practices. He also taught people about religious ceremonies and how to honor the dead. Numa is said to have written down these rules and given them to the first pontifex maximus, Numa Marcius.
The Roman Republic: A Powerful Role
When the kings were overthrown and Rome became a Republic, the pontifex maximus became the highest religious office in the state. The Romans created a new priest called the rex sacrorum (king of sacred rites) to do some religious duties that the king used to do. However, the rex sacrorum was not allowed to have military or political power. The pontiffs, though, could hold both government jobs and military commands.
The official home of the pontifex maximus was the Domus Publica (State House) in the Roman Forum. This was a very important area in Rome. Their religious duties were carried out from a nearby building called the Regia. The pontifex maximus could be recognized by special robes and by holding an iron knife or a patera (a shallow bowl for offerings).
During the late Republic, the job of pontifex maximus was usually held by someone from a powerful political family. It was a highly desired position because it brought great respect and influence. For example, Julius Caesar became a pontiff in 73 BC and then pontifex maximus in 63 BC.
How They Were Chosen
Originally, there were five Pontifices, including the pontifex maximus. They were chosen by the other members of the college for life. At first, only patricians could be pontiffs.
However, in 300–299 BC, a law called the lex Ogulnia changed things. It allowed common people (plebeians) to become priests and made the pontifex maximus chosen by public election. In 254 BC, Tiberius Coruncanius became the first plebeian pontifex maximus.
The lex Ogulnia also increased the number of pontiffs to nine. Later, another law in 104 BC said that all pontiffs would be elected by a public assembly of voting districts. This law was later removed by Sulla, who gave the power to choose new members back to the college itself. Sulla also increased the number of pontiffs to fifteen.
In 63 BC, Sulla's law was removed, and the public election system was brought back. Julius Caesar was elected pontifex maximus by public vote. Later, the number of pontiffs was increased to sixteen under Julius Caesar. The number of pontiffs changed a bit during the Roman Empire but was usually around fifteen.
What the Pontifex Maximus Did
The main job of the Pontifices was to keep the pax deorum, which means "peace of the gods." They made sure the gods were happy with Rome.
The pontifex maximus had huge authority. The other pontiffs acted as his advisors. While they did perform some sacrifices and rituals, their real power came from managing ius divinum, or divine law. They collected all the information about Roman religious traditions and rules.
Here are some of their important duties:
- They managed ceremonies needed to fix problems caused by things like disease or lightning.
- They officially made temples and other sacred places holy.
- They controlled the Roman calendar, deciding when extra months were needed to keep it in sync with the seasons. This was important because a Roman official's term of office was based on the calendar year. Sometimes, this power was misused by politicians to make their terms longer or shorter.
- They oversaw laws about burials and honoring dead ancestors.
- They supervised certain types of marriages.
- They managed laws about adoption and inheritance.
- They helped maintain public morals and could fine or punish people who broke rules.
- They chose the Vestal Virgins, who were important priestesses.
The pontiffs also had other important jobs. They took care of state records, kept official lists of elected officials, and recorded their own decisions. They also kept yearly records of major events, which were like "public diaries."
The pontifex maximus also had some rules they had to follow. For example, they were not supposed to leave Italy. However, over time, this rule became less strict. Julius Caesar was one of the most famous pontifices maximi who left Italy.
Under his authority as pontifex maximus, Julius Caesar made big changes to the calendar. He introduced the Julian calendar, which was very accurate and was used until the 16th century.
The Roman Empire: Emperors Take the Title
After Julius Caesar was killed, his friend Marcus Aemilius Lepidus became pontifex maximus. Even though Lepidus later lost political power, he kept the religious job until he died in 13/12 BC. Then, Augustus became the pontifex maximus. From this point on, the emperor usually held this title.
Augustus took the title of pontifex maximus to gain more political power and to show that he was bringing back traditional Roman values. This gave the new role of Emperor religious importance and made him responsible for all Roman state religion. Over time, the title became less about specific religious duties and more just a part of the emperor's many titles, showing their sacred role.
Early Christian emperors, like Constantine the Great, continued to use the title pontifex maximus. However, Emperor Gratian stopped using it around 383 AD. This was probably because the title had strong connections to traditional Roman pagan religion, and the empire was becoming more Christian. After Gratian, the title was changed to pontifex inclytus ("honourable pontiff") by other emperors.
The Title in the Catholic Church
In the 15th century, during the Renaissance, people became very interested in ancient Rome again. The title pontifex maximus became a common honorary title for Popes. After the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, pontifex maximus became part of the official titles for the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.
The word pontifex is still used in the Catholic Church. For example, the book containing the rituals for bishops is called the Roman Pontifical.
While pontifex maximus has been used on buildings and coins referring to Popes for centuries, it is not in the official list of papal titles published in the Annuario Pontificio. The official list includes "Supreme Pontiff of the whole Church" as the fourth title, with "Bishop of Rome" being the first.
In recent times, Pope Benedict XVI chose @pontifex as his Twitter username, which his successor Pope Francis continues to use.
Images for kids
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Denarius depicting Julius Caesar as pontifex maximus
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Pontifex maximus and Augustus Marcus Aurelius (r. 161 – 180) performing sacrifice in a relief from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius (Capitoline Museums)
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Engraving by Christoph Weigel the Elder of Pope Clement XI, giving him the title pontifex maximus
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See also
- List of pontifices maximi
- Papal titles
