PŌMOĒRĬUM. This word is compounded of _post_ and _moerium_ (_murus_),
in the same manner as _pomeridiem_ of _post_ and _meridiem_, and thus
signifies a line running by the walls of a town (_pone_ or _post
muros_). But the walls of a town here spoken of are not its actual
walls or fortifications, but symbolical walls, and the course of the
pomoerium itself was marked by stone pillars, erected at certain
intervals. The sacred line of the Roman pomoerium did not prevent the
inhabitants from building upon or taking into use any place beyond
it, but it was necessary to leave a certain space on each side of it
unoccupied, so as not to unhallow it by profane use. Thus we find
that the Aventine, although inhabited from early times, was for many
centuries not included within the pomoerium. The pomoerium was not
the same at all times; as the city increased the pomoerium also was
extended; but this extension could, according to ancient usage, only
be made by such men as had by their victories over foreign nations
increased the boundaries of the empire, and neither could a pomoerium
be formed nor altered without the augurs previously consulting the
will of the gods by augury: hence the _jus pomoerii_ of the augurs.
POMPA (πομπή), a solemn procession, as on the occasion of a funeral,
triumph, &c. It is, however, more particularly applied to the grand
procession with which the games of the circus commenced (_Pompa
Circensis_). [CIRCUS.]
PONS (γέφυρα), a bridge. As the rivers of Greece were small, and
the use of the arch known to them only to a limited extent, it is
probable that the Greek bridges were built entirely of wood, or,
at best, were nothing more than a wooden platform supported upon
stone piers at each extremity. Pliny mentions a bridge over the
Acheron 1000 feet in length; we also know that the island Euboea was
joined to Boeotia by a bridge; but the only existing specimen of a
Greek bridge is the one over a tributary of the Eurotas. The Romans
regularly applied the arch to the construction of bridges, by which
they were enabled to erect structures of great beauty and solidity,
as well as utility. The width of the passage-way in a Roman bridge
was commonly narrow, as compared with modern structures of the same
kind, and corresponded with the road (_via_) leading to and from
it. It was divided into three parts. The centre one, for horses
and carriages, was denominated _agger_ or _iter_; and the raised
footpaths on each side _decursoria_, which were enclosed by parapet
walls similar in use and appearance to the _pluteus_ in the basilica.
There were eight bridges across the Tiber. I. Of these the most
celebrated, as well as the most ancient, was the PONS SUBLICIUS, so
called because it was built of wood; _sublices_, in the language of
the Formiani, meaning wooden beams. It was built by Ancus Martius,
when he united the Janiculum to the city, and was situated at the
foot of the Aventine.--II. PONS PALATINUS formed the communication
between the Palatine and its vicinities and the Janiculum.--III. IV.
_Pons Fabricius_ and PONS CESTIUS were the two which connected the
Insula Tiberina with the opposite sides of the river; the first with
the city, and the latter with the Janiculum.
[Illustration: Pons Cestius, and Pons Fabricius, at Rome, with the
buildings between restored.]
Both are still remaining. They are represented in the preceding
woodcut: that on the right hand is the pons Fabricius, and that on
the left the pons Cestius.--V. PONS JANICULENSIS, which led direct to
the Janiculum.--VI. PONS VATICANUS, so called because it formed the
communication between the Campus Martius and Campus Vaticanus.--
[Illustration: Pons Aelius at Rome.]
VII. PONS AELIUS, built by Hadrian, which led from the city to
the mausoleum of that emperor, now the bridge and castle of St.
Angelo.--VIII. PONS MILVIUS, on the Via Flaminia, now Ponte Molle,
was built by Aemilius Scaurus the censor.--The Roman bridges without
the city were too many to be enumerated here.
[Illustration: Bridge at Arimmum.]
They formed one of the chief embellishments in all the public roads;
and their frequent and stupendous remains, still existing in Italy,
Portugal, and Spain, attest, even to the present day, the scale of
grandeur with which the Roman works of national utility were always
carried on.--When the comitia were held, the voters, in order to
reach the enclosure called _septum_ and _ovile_, passed over a
wooden platform, elevated above the ground, which was called _pons
suffragiorum_, in order that they might be able to give their votes
without confusion or collusion. [COMITIA.] _Pons_ is also used to
signify the platform (ἐπιβάθρα, ἀποβάθρα), used for embarking in, or
disembarking from, a ship.
PONTĬFEX (ἱεροδιδάσκαλος, ἱερονόμος, ἱεροφύλαξ, ἱεροφάντης). The
origin of this word is explained in various ways; but it is probably
formed from _pons_ and _facere_ (in the signification of the Greek
ῥέζειν, to perform a sacrifice), and consequently signifies the
priests who offered sacrifices upon the bridge. The ancient sacrifice
to which the name thus alludes, is that of the Argei on the sacred
or sublician bridge. [ARGEI.] The Roman pontiffs formed the most
illustrious among the great colleges of priests. Their institution,
like that of all important matters of religion, was ascribed to
Numa. The number of pontiffs appointed by this king was four, and at
their head was the pontifex maximus, who is generally not included
when the number of pontiffs is mentioned. It is probable that the
original number of four pontiffs (not including the pontifex maximus)
had reference to the two earliest tribes of the Romans, the Ramnes
and Tities, so that each tribe was represented by two pontiffs. In
the year B.C. 300 the Ogulnian law raised the number of pontiffs to
eight, or, including the pontifex maximus, to nine, and four of them
were to be plebeians. The pontifex maximus, however, continued to
be a patrician down to the year B.C. 254, when Tib. Coruncanius was
the first plebeian who was invested with this dignity. This number
of pontiffs remained for a long time unaltered, until in B.C. 81 the
dictator Sulla increased it to fifteen, and J. Caesar to sixteen. In
both these changes the pontifex maximus is included in the number.
During the empire the number varied, though on the whole fifteen
appears to have been the regular number. The mode of appointing the
pontiffs was also different at different times. It appears that after
their institution by Numa, the college had the right of co-optation,
that is, if a member of the college died (for all the pontiffs held
their office for life), the members met and elected a successor, who,
after his election, was inaugurated by the augurs. This election was
sometimes called _captio_. In B.C. 104 a Lex Domitia was passed,
which transferred the right of electing the members of the great
colleges of priests to the people (probably in the comitia tributa);
that is, the people elected a candidate, who was then made a member
of the college by the co-optatio of the priests themselves, so that
the co-optatio, although still necessary, became a mere matter of
form. The Lex Domitia was repealed by Sulla in a Lex Cornelia de
Sacerdotiis (B.C. 81), which restored to the great priestly colleges
their full right of co-optatio. In B.C. 63 the law of Sulla was
abolished, and the Domitian law was restored, but not in its full
extent; for it was now determined, that in case of a vacancy the
college itself should nominate two candidates, and the people elect
one of them. M. Antonius again restored the right of co-optatio to
the college. The college of pontiffs had the supreme superintendence
of all matters of religion, and of things and persons connected with
public as well as private worship. They had the judicial decision
in all matters of religion, whether private persons, magistrates,
or priests were concerned, and in cases where the existing laws or
customs were found defective or insufficient, they made new laws and
regulations (_decreta pontificum_), in which they always followed
their own judgment as to what was consistent with the existing
customs and usages. The details of these duties and functions were
contained in books called _libri pontificii_ or _pontificales_,
_commentarii sacrorum_ or _sacrorum pontificalium_, which they were
said to have received from Numa, and which were sanctioned by Ancus
Martius. As to the rights and duties of the pontiffs, it must first
of all be borne in mind, that the pontiffs were not priests of any
particular divinity, but a college which stood above all other
priests, and superintended the whole external worship of the gods.
One of their principal duties was the regulation of the sacra, both
publica and privata, and to watch that they were observed at the
proper times (for which purpose the pontiffs had the whole regulation
of the calendar, see CALENDARIUM), and in their proper form. In the
management of the sacra publica they were in later times assisted in
certain duties by the Triumviri Epulones. [EPULONES.] The pontiffs
convoked the assembly of the curies (_comitia calata_ or _curiata_)
in cases where priests were to be appointed, and flamines or a
rex sacrorum were to be inaugurated; also when wills were to be
received, and when a detestatio sacrorum and adoption by adrogatio
took place. [ADOPTIO.] In most cases the sentence of the pontiffs
only inflicted a fine upon the offenders; but the person fined had
the right of appealing to the people, who might release him from the
fine. In regard to the vestal virgins, and the persons who committed
incest with them, the pontiffs had criminal jurisdiction, and might
pronounce sentence of death. A man who had violated a vestal virgin
was, according to an ancient law, scourged to death by the pontifex
maximus in the comitium, and it appears that originally neither the
vestal virgins nor the male offenders in such a case had any right
of appeal. In later times we find that, even when the pontiffs had
passed sentence upon vestal virgins, a tribune interfered, and
induced the people to appoint a quaestor for the purpose of making
a fresh inquiry into the case; and it sometimes happened that after
this new trial the sentence of the pontiffs was modified or annulled.
Such cases, however, seem to have been mere irregularities, founded
upon an abuse of the tribunitian power. In the early times the
pontiffs were in the exclusive possession of the civil as well as
religious law, until the former was made public by Cn. Flavius. The
regulations which served as a guide to the pontiffs in their judicial
proceedings, formed a large collection of laws, which was called
the _jus pontificium_, and formed part of the Libri Pontificii. The
meetings of the college of pontiffs, to which in some instances the
famines and the rex sacrorum were summoned, were held in the curia
regia on the Via Sacra, to which was attached the residence of the
pontifex maximus and of the rex sacrorum. As the chief pontiff was
obliged to live in a domus publica, Augustus, when he assumed this
dignity, changed part of his own house into a domus publica. All
the pontiffs were in their appearance distinguished by the conic
cap, called tutulus or galerus, with an apex upon it, and the toga
praetexta. The pontifex maximus was the president of the college, and
acted in its name, whence he alone is frequently mentioned in cases
in which he must be considered only as the organ of the college. He
was generally chosen from among the most distinguished persons, and
such as had held a curule magistracy, or were already members of
the college. Two of his especial duties were to appoint (_capere_)
the vestal virgins and the flamines [VESTALES; FLAMEN], and to be
present at every marriage by confarreatio. When festive games were
vowed, or a dedication made, the chief pontiff had to repeat over,
before the persons who made the vow or the dedication, the formula
in which it was to be performed (_praeire verba_). During the period
of the republic, when the people exercised sovereign power in every
respect, we find that if the pontiff, on constitutional or religious
grounds, refused to perform this solemnity, he might be compelled by
the people. The pontifex maximus wrote down what occurred in his year
on tablets, which were hung up in his dwelling for the information of
the people, and called _Annales Maximi_. A pontifex might, like all
the members of the great priestly colleges, hold any other military,
civil, or priestly office, provided the different offices did not
interfere with one another. Thus we find one and the same person
being pontiff, augur, and decemvir sacrorum; instances of a pontifex
maximus being at the same time consul are very numerous. But whatever
might be the civil or military office which a pontifex maximus held
beside his pontificate, he was not allowed originally to leave Italy.
The college of pontiffs continued to exist until the overthrow of
paganism. The emperors themselves were always chief pontiffs, and
as such the presidents of the college; hence the title of pontifex
maximus (P. M. or PON. M.) appears on several coins of the emperors.
If there were several emperors at a time, only one bore the title of
pontifex maximus; but in the year A.D. 238 we find that each of the
two emperors Maximus and Balbinus assumed this dignity. From the
time of Theodosius the emperors no longer appear with the dignity of
pontiff; but at last the title was assumed by the Christian bishop
of Rome.--There were other pontiffs at Rome, who were distinguished
by the epithet _Minores_. They appear to have been originally only
the secretaries of the pontiffs; and when the real pontiffs began to
neglect their duties, and to leave the principal business to be done
by their secretaries, it became customary to designate these scribes
by the name of Pontifices Minores. The number of these secretaries is
uncertain.