The head of Rome’s college of pontiffs and one of the Republic’s most prestigious religious offices.
Overview
The pontifex maximus supervised important areas of public religion, priestly law, the calendar, and the conduct of sacred institutions.
Why It Matters
The office united religious authority with political prestige. Julius Caesar’s election to it in 63 BC gave him a permanent and highly visible position in Roman public life.
In Roman Practice
The pontifex maximus was not equivalent to a modern pope. Roman religion was distributed among several colleges, priesthoods, magistrates, and traditional practices.