. ▁However , ▁these ▁rules ▁were ▁obviously ▁lo os ened ▁in ▁the ▁later ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 3 rd   century   A . D . ▁In ▁periods ▁of ▁joint ▁rule , ▁at ▁first ▁only ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁em per ors ▁bore ▁this ▁title , ▁as ▁it ▁occurred ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁during ▁the ▁reign ▁of ▁Marcus ▁A ure lius ▁and ▁Lu cius ▁Ver us , ▁when ▁only ▁Marcus ▁A ure lius ▁was ▁pont if ex ▁maxim us , ▁but ▁later ▁two ▁pont ific es ▁maxim i ▁could ▁serve ▁together , ▁as ▁P up ien us ▁and ▁Bal bin us ▁did ▁in ▁ 2 3 8   A . D .— a ▁situation ▁un th ink able ▁in ▁Republican ▁times . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁crisis ▁of ▁the ▁Third ▁Century , ▁us ur pers ▁did ▁not ▁hes itate ▁to ▁claim ▁for ▁themselves ▁the ▁role ▁not ▁only ▁of ▁Emperor ▁but ▁of ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁as ▁well . ▁Even ▁the ▁early ▁Christian ▁Em per ors ▁continued ▁to ▁use ▁it ; ▁it ▁was ▁only ▁rel in qu ished ▁by ▁Gr at ian , ▁possibly ▁in ▁ 3 7 6   A . D . ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁his ▁visit ▁to ▁Rome , ▁or ▁more ▁probably ▁in ▁ 3 8 3 ▁when ▁a ▁deleg ation ▁of ▁pag an ▁sen ators ▁impl ored ▁him ▁to ▁restore ▁the ▁Alt ar ▁of ▁Vict ory ▁in ▁the ▁Senate ▁House . ▁A ▁more ▁recent ▁article ▁suggests ▁that ▁the ▁title ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁kept ▁by ▁Gr at ian ▁and ▁even ▁accepted