Dictionary of Greek and Roman antiquities. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

942 PONTIFEX. PORISTAE.
called tutulus or galerus, with an apex upon it, and of the Luceres; that they stood in the seane rethe toga praetexta. lation to tile other pontiffl's as the patres niinorum
TFhe pontifex maxlimnus was the president of the gentintL to the patres lsnaLjorumn gentitum; and that
college and acted in its nanme, whence he alone is subsequently whlen the meaning of the name was
frequently mentioned in cases in which he mist be forgotten, it was applied to the secretaries of the
considered only as the organ of the college. He great college of pontiffs. In another passage (iii.
was generally chosen from armong the most dis- p. 411) Niebuhr himself demonlstrates that the
tinilgished persons, and such as had held a curule Luceres were never represented in the college of
magistracy, or were already members of the col- pontiffs, and hIis earlier supposition is contradicted
lege. (Liv. xxxv. 5, xl. 42.) Two of his especial by all the statements of ancient writers who menduties were to appoint (capesre) the Vestal virgins tion the pontifices minores. Livy (xxii. 57;
and the flamines [VESTALES; FLAMEN], and to compare Jul. Capitol. Opil. Mlracrin. 7), in speaki)e presenlt at every marriage by confarreatio. ing of the secretaries of the college of pontiffs,
VWhen festive games were vowed or a dedication adds, " quos nune minores pontifices appellant;"
made, the chief pontiff had to repeat over belore from which it is evident that the name pontifices
the persons who made the vow or the dedication, minores was of later introduction, and that it wTas
the formula iwith which it was to be performed given to personlls who originally had no claims to it,
(psaaeire cerlza, Liv. v. 40, ix. 46, iv. 27). Duringr that is, to the secretaries of the pontiffs. The
the period of the republic, when the people exer- only natural solution of the question seems to be
cised sovereign power in every respect, we find this. At the time when the real pontiffs began to
that if the pontiff on constitutional or religious neglect their duties, and to leave the principal
grounds refused to perform this solemnity, lie mIight business to be done by their secretaries, it became
be compelled by the people. customary to designate these scribes by the name
A pontifex might, like all the members of the of pontifices minores. Macrobius (S(at. i. 15), in
great priestly colleges, hold any other military, speaking of minor pontiffs previous to the time of
civil or priestly office, provided the different offices Cn. Flavins, makes an anachronism, as he transfers
did not interfere with one another. Thus we find a name customary in his own days to a time
one and the same person being pontiff, augur, and when it could not possibly exist. The nnmber of
decenmvir sacrorum (Liv. xl. 42); instances of a these secretaries is uncertain; Cicero (de Harsusp.
pontifox maximus being at the same time consul, Resqp. 6) mentions the name of three minor pontiffs.
are very numerous. (Liv. xxviii. 38; Cic. de The name cannot have been used long before the
HIaru'sp e. 6; compare Ambrosch, Stcudiesn qzd end of the republic, when even chief pontiffs began
Asddeutzluqens, p. 229, note 105.) But whatever to show a disregard for their sacred duties, as in
might be the civil or military office which a ponti- the case of P. Licinius Crassus and Julius Caesar.
*fex maximus held beside his pontificate, he was Another proof of their falling off in comparison
not alloved to leave Italy. The first who violated with former days, is that about the same time the
this law was P. Licinius Crassuls, in B. C. 131 good and luxurious living of the pontiffs became
(Liv. Eit. 59; Val. Max. viii. 7. 6; Oros. v. proverbial at Rome. (Horat. Cars. ii. 14. 26, &c.;
10); but after this precedent, pontiffs seem to Mart. xii. 48. 12; Macrob. Sat. ii. 9.) [L. S.]
have frequently transgressed the law, and Caesar, PONTIFICA'LES LUDI. [LUDI PONTIFIthough pontifex maximus, went to his province of CALLES ]
Gaul. P(YNTIFI'CIUM JUS. [Jus, pp. 656, 657.]
The college of pontiffIs continued to exist until POPA. [CAUPoNA; SACRIFICIUM.]
the overthrow of paganism (Arnob. iv. 35; Sym- POPI'NA. [CAUPONA.]
mach. Epit. ix. 128, 129); but its power and in- POPULA'RES. [NOBILES, p. 799, b.]
fluence were considerably weakened as the em- POP ULA'RIA. [AIMPHITHEATRUMs, p. 88, b.]
perors, according to the example of Caesar, had POPULIFUJ'GIA or -POPLIFU'GIA, the
the right to appoint as many members of the great day of the people's flight, wvas celebrated on the
colleges of priests as they pleased. (Dion Cass. Nones of July, according to an ancient tradition
xlii. 51, xliii. 51, li. 20, liii. 17; Suet. Caes. 31.) preserved by Varro (De Lin2g. Lat. vi. 18, ed.
In addition to this, the emlperors themselves were M~iilier), in commemoration of the flight of the
allways chief pontiffs, and as such the presidents of people, when the inhabitants of Ficulea, Fidenne,
the college; hence the title of pontifex m'xiimwns and other places round about, appeared in arms
(P. M. or PON. M.) appears on several coins of against Rome shortly after the departure of the
the emperors. If there were severmel eaperors at Gaulls, and produced such a panic that the Romans
a time, only one bore the title of pontifex inaxi- slcddenly fled before them. Macrob-ins (Satuzrn.
mus; but in the year A. D. 238, we find that iii. 2), however, says that the Populifugia was celeeach of the two emperors Maximrns and Balbinns brated in commemoration of the fliglht of the people
assumed this dignity. (Capitol. liTaxi7s. et Balb. before the Tuscans, while Dionysilus (ii. 76) refers
8.) The last traces of emperors being at the its origin to the flight of the people on the death of
same tinie chief pontiffs are foulnd in inscriptions liomulus. Niebuhr (Hist. of Rome, vol. ii. p.
Df Valentinian, Valens, and Gratianus. (Orelli, 573) seems disposed to accept the tradition preInscri?t. n. 1117, 1118.) From the time of served by Varro; but the different accounts of its
Theodosius the emperors no longer appear iii the origin given by Macrobius and Dionysius render
dignity of pontiff; but at last the title was as — the story iuncertain.
shmed by the Choristian bishop of Rorome. PO'PULUS. [PATRICII.]
Tllhere were other pontiffs at Rome wrho were PORISTAE (mropra-rai), were magistrates at
distinguished by the epithet minores. Various Athens, who probably levied the extraordinary
opinions have beien entertained as to what these supplies. (IlopLaTrai l Es'lY pXv Ts'AOp'?Y71y',
ontifices minores were. Niebuhlr (i. p. 302. n. iJT1vse rOpovs i(veTL, Bckker, Anec. p. 294. 19.)
P75) thnislk that they were originally the pontiffs Alltiphlon (De C/zor. p. 791, Reiske) classes them