Pontifical College – Law and Politics
Keywords:
pontiffs, legislation, Roman Republic, magistratureAbstract
Through the analysis of literary and legal source texts, the following article aims to show the main roles played by members of the priestly college of pontiffs during the Roman Republic. Their sacred functions, such as managing the dies fasti and nefasti calendar, or issuing decrees on matters relating to expiation in the event of unfavourable signs or ritual errors appearing during the performance of public functions by magistrates, were often intertwined with politics. As the Romans believed, such errors could result in a defeat in a battle. Additionally, the article indicates the procedure to be followed in the event of a ritual error. Pontiffs also took part in the election and inauguration of priests, including those from other colleges. Moreover, they played an important role in the adrogatio procedure – a lot of information about their tasks is preserved in Cicero’s De domo sua speech. The interpretation of the law – not just sacred but the private one too, was an extremely important function of the college of pontiffs. I also raise the issue of ius Papirianum – a collection of legal regulations the publication of which is sometimes attributed to the first Republican head of the college of pontiffs.
Most information about the activities of the college of pontiffs can be found in literary texts, mainly in Titus Livius’ Ab Urbe condita. The legal texts concerning the pontiffs are preserved in the Digest, the most famous being probably a fragment of Pomponius’ Enchiridion. The jurist emphasised their role in the interpretation of the law and legis actiones. The college was also mentioned by Gaius in his Institutes.
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