The priesthoods of public religion were held by members of the elite classes. There was no principle analogous to separation of church and state in ancient Rome. During the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), the same men who were elected public officials might also serve as augurs and pontiffs. Priests married, raised families, and led politically active lives. Julius Caesar became pontifex maximus before he was elected consul. The augurs read the will of the gods and supervised the marking of boundaries as a reflection of universal order, thus sanctioning Roman expansionism as a matter of divine destiny. The Roman triumph was at its core a religious procession in which the victorious general displayed his piety and his willingness to serve the public good by dedicating a portion of his spoils to the gods, especially Jupiter, who embodied just rule. As a result of the Punic Wars (264–146 BC), when Rome struggled to establish itself as a dominant power, many new temples were built by magistrates in fulfillment of a vow to a deity for assuring their military success. QUESTIONS:

Q1:
1. What were the years of the Roman Republic?
2. During what year was the Roman Republic active?
3. 
Q2:
1. What did priests do during the Roman Republic?
2. What was the role of priests under the Roman Republic?
3. 
Q3:
1. What level of society were priests?
2. What was the social caste of priests?
3. 
Q4:
1. What was the role of an augur?
2. What task did an augur perform?
3. 
Q5:
1. To what end did augurs read the will of the gods?
2. Why did augurs try and find what the gods wanted?
3. 
Q6:
1. Which deity represented just rule?
2. Who was the god of just rule?
3. 
Q7:
1. Which war began in 264?
2. What conflict had a starting year of 264?
3. 
Q8:
1. When did the Punic Wars end?
2. What year saw the end of the Punic Wars?
3. 
Q9:
1. Were the Punic Wars easy for Rome?
2. Did Rome have an easy go at the Punic Wars?
3. 
Q10:
1. What was difficult for Rome during the Punic Wars?
2. What was Rome not great at during the time of the Punic Wars?
3. 
Q11:
1. What was Caesar established as?
2. What title did Caesar take on?
3. 
Q12:
1. What was Caesar's first name?
2. Which Caesar became Pontifex Maximus?
3. 
Q13:
1. What did Caesar become after pontifex?
2. What was Caesar elected to be after pontifex maximus?
3. 
Q14:
1. Did the Roman Republic have an official separation between church and state?
2. Was there a division between church and state during the Roman Republic?
3. 
