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GCSE Classics · key term
Members of a Roman priestly college responsible for supervising religious practice, including the religious calendar and rules governing burial.
Used by OCR
Paper 1
Revise: RomeThe pontiffs, or pontifices, formed a major priestly college that supervised religious practice. Their responsibilities included protecting temples, regulating burial and overseeing the religious calendar. Deciding festival dates and which days were suitable for public business made their work important to civic life as well as worship.
Distinguish officials precisely: pontiffs supervise religious practice, augurs interpret auspices, and a haruspex examines sacrificial entrails.
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