▁the ▁D ict ators , ▁because ▁they ▁possessed ▁greater ▁authority . ▁As ▁the ▁custom ▁had ▁been ▁subsequently ▁dropped , ▁it ▁was ▁felt ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁sufficient ▁importance ▁to ▁require ▁the ▁appointment ▁of ▁a ▁D ict ator . ▁L [ u cius ] ▁Man lius ▁was ▁accordingly ▁nominated ▁but ▁his ▁appointment ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁political ▁rather ▁than ▁religious ▁reasons . ▁He ▁was ▁eager ▁to ▁command ▁in ▁the ▁war ▁with ▁the ▁Hern ici . ▁He ▁caused ▁a ▁very ▁angry ▁feeling ▁among ▁the ▁men ▁li able ▁to ▁serve ▁by ▁the ▁incons ider ate ▁way ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁conducted ▁the ▁en roll ment . ▁At ▁last , ▁in ▁consequence ▁of ▁the ▁un anim ous ▁resistance ▁offered ▁by ▁the ▁trib unes ▁of ▁the ▁ple bs , ▁he ▁gave ▁way , ▁either ▁volunt arily ▁or ▁through ▁comp ulsion , ▁and ▁laid ▁down ▁his ▁D ict ator ship . ▁Since ▁then , ▁this ▁r ite ▁has ▁been ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁R ex ▁Sac ror um . ▁ ▁D ut ies ▁The ▁main ▁duty ▁of ▁the ▁Pont ific es ▁was ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁p ax ▁de orum ▁or ▁" pe ace ▁of ▁the ▁gods ." ▁ ▁The ▁immense ▁authority ▁of ▁the ▁sacred ▁college ▁of ▁pont iffs ▁was ▁centered ▁on ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us , ▁the ▁other ▁pont ific es ▁forming ▁his ▁cons il ium ▁or ▁advis ing ▁body . ▁His ▁functions ▁were ▁partly ▁sacrific ial ▁or ▁rit ual istic , ▁but ▁these ▁were ▁the ▁least ▁important . ▁His ▁real ▁power ▁lay ▁in ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁i us ▁div in