Editing College of Pontiffs (section)

{{short description|High priests of ancient Rome}}
{{Priesthoods of ancient Rome}}
The '''College of Pontiffs''' ({{langx|la|Collegium Pontificum}}; see ''[[collegium]]'') was a body of the [[ancient Rome|ancient Roman]] state whose members were the highest-ranking priests of the [[Religion in ancient Rome|state religion]].  The college consisted of the ''[[pontifex maximus]]'' and the other ''[[Pontiff|pontifices]]'', the ''[[rex sacrorum]]'', the fifteen ''[[flamen]]s'', and the [[Vestals]].<ref>[[Jörg Rüpke]], "Communicating with the Gods," in ''A Companion to Roman Religion'', (Blackwell, 2010), p. 226; [[John A. North]], "The Constitution of the Roman Republic," in the same volume, p. 268 (a table showing priestly roles of Roman religion, including assignment to colleges).</ref> The College of Pontiffs was one of the four major priestly colleges; originally their responsibility was limited to supervising both public and private sacrifices, but as time passed their responsibilities increased.<ref>Martha W. Hoffman Lewis, ''The Official Priests of Rome under the Julio-Claudians'' (Rome: American Academy, 1955), p. 7</ref> The other colleges were the ''[[Augur|augures]]'' (who read omens), the ''[[quindecimviri sacris faciundis]] '' ("fifteen men who carry out the rites"), and the ''[[epulones]]'' (who set up feasts at festivals).

The title ''[[pontiff|pontifex]]'' comes from the Latin for "bridge builder", a possible allusion to a very early role in placating the gods and spirits associated with the [[Tiber River]], for instance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/ancient/7Cnuma.asp |title=Internet History Sourcebooks |website=fordham.edu}}</ref> Also, Varro cites this position as meaning "able to do".<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xQd82l39KX4C&pg=PA195|title=Religions of Rome: Volume 2, A Sourcebook |first1=Mary |last1=Beard |first2=John |last2=North |first3=Simon|last3=Price |date=June 28, 1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |via=Google Books}}</ref>

The ''pontifex maximus'' was the most important member of the college. Until 104 BC, the ''pontifex maximus'' held the sole power in appointing members to the other priesthoods in the college.

The ''flamens'' were priests in charge of fifteen official cults of Roman religion, each assigned to a particular god.  The three major ''flamens'' (''[[flamines maiores]]'') were the ''[[flamen Dialis]]'', the high priest of [[Jupiter (mythology)|Jupiter]]; the ''[[flamen Martialis]]'', who cultivated [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]]; and the ''[[flamen Quirinalis]]'', devoted to [[Quirinus]]. The deities cultivated by the twelve ''[[flamines minores]]'' were [[Carmenta]], [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]], [[Falacer]], [[Flora (mythology)|Flora]], [[Furrina]], [[Palatua]], [[Pomona (mythology)|Pomona]], [[Portunus (mythology)|Portunus]], [[Vulcan (mythology)|Volcanus]] (Vulcan), [[Volturnus]], and two whose names are lost.

The Vestal Virgins were the only female members of the college.  They were in charge of guarding Rome's sacred hearth, keeping the flame burning inside the [[Temple of Vesta]].  Around age 6 to 10, girls were chosen for this position and were required to perform the rites and obligations for 30 years, including remaining chaste.