▁by ▁The odos ius ▁and ▁Valent ian . ▁ ▁Trad ition ▁of ▁so ver eign ▁as ▁high ▁priest ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁religious ▁and ▁sec ular ▁authority ▁un ited ▁in ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁has ▁a ▁long ▁history . ▁In ▁ancient ▁Ath ens , ▁the ▁Arch on ▁bas ile us ▁was ▁the ▁principal ▁religious ▁dign it ary ▁of ▁the ▁state ; ▁according ▁to ▁legend , ▁and ▁as ▁indicated ▁in ▁his ▁title ▁of ▁" Bas ile us " ▁( mean ing ▁" king "), ▁he ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁inherit ▁the ▁religious ▁functions ▁of ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁Ath ens ▁in ▁earlier ▁times . ▁ ▁Eastern ▁trad itions , ▁from ▁the ▁ancient ▁Egypt ian ▁to ▁the ▁Japanese , ▁carried ▁the ▁concept ▁even ▁further , ▁according ▁their ▁so ver eign s ▁dem ig od ▁status . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁ad option ▁of ▁Christian ity , ▁the ▁Roman ▁em per ors ▁took ▁it ▁on ▁themselves ▁to ▁issue ▁decre es ▁on ▁matters ▁regarding ▁the ▁Christian ▁Church . ▁Un like ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁themselves ▁function ▁as ▁pri ests , ▁but ▁they ▁acted ▁pract ically ▁as ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁official ▁religion , ▁a ▁tradition ▁that ▁continued ▁with ▁the ▁By z antine ▁Em per ors . ▁In ▁line ▁with ▁the ▁theory ▁of ▁Moscow ▁as ▁the ▁Third ▁Rome , ▁the ▁Russian ▁Ts ars ▁exerc ised ▁supre me ▁authority ▁over ▁the ▁Russian ▁Orth odox ▁Church . ▁ ▁With ▁the ▁English ▁Re formation , ▁the ▁so ver eign ▁of ▁England ▁became ▁Supreme ▁Governor ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁England