ate ' s ▁term ▁of ▁office ▁correspond ed ▁with ▁a ▁calendar ▁year , ▁this ▁power ▁was ▁pr one ▁to ▁ab use : ▁a ▁Pont if ex ▁could ▁length en ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁which ▁he ▁or ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁political ▁al lies ▁was ▁in ▁office , ▁or ▁refuse ▁to ▁length en ▁one ▁in ▁which ▁his ▁oppon ents ▁were ▁in ▁power . ▁This ▁caused ▁the ▁calendar ▁to ▁become ▁out ▁of ▁step ▁with ▁the ▁seasons ; ▁for ▁example , ▁Ca esar ' s ▁crossing ▁of ▁the ▁Rub icon ▁in ▁January ▁ 4 9   B CE ▁actually ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁mid - aut umn . ▁ ▁Under ▁his ▁authority ▁as ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us , ▁G ai us ▁Julius ▁Ca esar ▁introduced ▁the ▁calendar ▁reform ▁that ▁created ▁the ▁Julian ▁calendar , ▁with ▁a ▁fault ▁of ▁less ▁than ▁a ▁day ▁per ▁century , ▁and ▁which ▁remained ▁the ▁standard ▁till ▁the ▁Greg or ian ▁reform ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 6 th   century . ▁ ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁After ▁Julius ▁Ca esar ' s ▁assass ination ▁in ▁ 4 4   B CE , ▁his ▁al ly ▁Marcus ▁A em il ius ▁Le pid us ▁was ▁selected ▁as ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us . ▁Though ▁Le pid us ▁eventually ▁fell ▁out ▁of ▁political ▁favor ▁and ▁was ▁sent ▁into ▁ex ile ▁as ▁August us ▁cons olid ated ▁power , ▁he ▁retained ▁the ▁priest ly ▁office ▁until ▁his ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 3   B CE , ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁August us ▁was ▁selected ▁to ▁succeed ▁him ▁and ▁given ▁the