He  took  care  that  sacred  rites  were  properly  performed ;  and,  fot
that  purpose,  all  the  other  priests  were  suoject  to  him.  He
c»uld  hinder  any  of  them  from  leaving  the  city ;  although  in*
Tested  with  consular  authority,  and  fine  such  as  transgressed  his
orders,  even  although  they  were  magbtrates.^

How  much  the  ancient  Romans  respected  religion  and  its
ministers  we  may  judge  from  this;  that  they  impowd  a  fine  on
Tremellius,  a  tribune  of  the  commons,  for  having,  in  a  dispute,
used  injurious  language  to  Lepidus  the  pontifex  maximus.^  But
the  pontifices  appear,  at  least  in  the  time  of  Cicero^  to  have
been,  in  some  respects,  subject  to  the  tribunes.^
i^It  was  particularly  incumbent  on  the  pontifex  maximus  to
take  care  of  the  sacred  rites  of  Vesta.  If  any  of  the  priestesses
neglected  their  duty,  he  reprimanded  or  punished  them,  some-
times  by  a  sentence  of  the  college,  capitally.*'

The  presence  of  the  pontifex  maximus  was  requisite  in  public
and  solemn  religious  acts ;  as  when  magistrates  vowed  games  or
the  like,  made  a  prayer,  or  dedicated  a  temple,  also  when  a
general  devoted  himself  for  his  army,^*  to  repent  over  before
them  the  form  of  words  proper  to  be  used,'^  which  Seneca  calls
FONTiFiCALB  CARMBN.     It  was  of  importance  that  he  pronounced

1  Dio.  xlir.  fin.  xxxvii.  3  Cic.  Bp.  Brat.  5.  Die  6  Ur.  1. 20.  U.  8.  is.  46.      LIr.  ir.  44.  Tiii.  15.
87.  Oiony.  U.  73.  Suer.  li.  20.  lui.  17.  Ep.  xiz.  1.  zxxrii.  5.      xxH.67.  xzriiL  ll.Cie.
Ner. &  Am.  Ce  Coc.  4  quod  maximal  rernm,  xl. 8. 48. Cie.  PbiL  xi.      Har.  ratp. 7.  Legg>  iu

8.  Roll.  ii.  7.  VelL  ii.  qas  «d  sacra,  et  reli*  8.  Tae.  AniuUi.  9&&1.      9.
