▁the ▁distinct ive ▁ro bes ▁or ▁to ga ▁with ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁mant le ▁covering ▁the ▁head ▁( cap ite ▁vel ato ), ▁in ▁keeping ▁with ▁Roman ▁practice . ▁ ▁The ▁Pont if ex ▁was ▁not ▁simply ▁a ▁priest . ▁He ▁had ▁both ▁political ▁and ▁religious ▁authority . ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁clear ▁which ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁came ▁first ▁or ▁had ▁the ▁most ▁importance . ▁In ▁practice , ▁particularly ▁during ▁the ▁late ▁Republic , ▁the ▁office ▁of ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁was ▁generally ▁held ▁by ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁polit ically ▁prominent ▁family . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁cov et ed ▁position ▁mainly ▁for ▁the ▁great ▁prest ige ▁it ▁con ferred ▁on ▁the ▁holder ; ▁Julius ▁Ca esar ▁became ▁pont if ex ▁in ▁ 7 3   BC ▁and ▁pont if ex ▁maxim us ▁in ▁ 6 3   B CE . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁Republican ▁source ▁on ▁the ▁pont iffs ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁the ological ▁writ ings ▁of ▁Var ro , ▁which ▁surv ive ▁only ▁in ▁fragments ▁preserved ▁by ▁later ▁authors ▁such ▁as ▁A ulus ▁G elli us ▁and ▁Non ius ▁Mar cell us . ▁Other ▁sources ▁are ▁Cic ero , ▁Liv y , ▁D ion ys ius ▁of ▁Hal ic arn ass us , ▁Val er ius ▁Maxim us , ▁Pl ut arch ' s ▁Life ▁of ▁N uma ▁Pom p il ius , ▁Fest us ' ▁summar ies ▁of ▁Ver ri us ▁F la cc us , ▁and ▁in ▁later ▁writers , ▁including ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁Church ▁F athers .