▁the ▁re x ▁( king ) ▁in ▁religious ▁matters . ▁The ▁colleg ium ▁was ▁head ed ▁by ▁the ▁pont if ex ▁maxim us , ▁and ▁all ▁the ▁pont ific es ▁held ▁their ▁office ▁for ▁life . ▁But ▁the ▁pont ific al ▁records ▁of ▁early ▁Rome ▁were ▁most ▁likely ▁destroyed ▁when ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁by ▁the ▁Ga uls ▁in ▁ 3 8 7   B CE , ▁and ▁the ▁earliest ▁accounts ▁of ▁Arch a ic ▁Rome ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁literature ▁of ▁the ▁Republic , ▁most ▁of ▁it ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 st   century   BC ▁and ▁later . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁August an - era ▁historian ▁Liv y , ▁N uma ▁Pom p il ius , ▁a ▁Sab ine , ▁de vised ▁Rome ' s ▁system ▁of ▁religious ▁r ites , ▁including ▁the ▁manner ▁and ▁timing ▁of ▁sacrific es , ▁the ▁super vision ▁of ▁religious ▁funds , ▁authority ▁over ▁all ▁public ▁and ▁private ▁religious ▁institutions , ▁instruction ▁of ▁the ▁popul ace ▁in ▁the ▁cel est ial ▁and ▁fun er ary ▁r ites ▁including ▁appe asing ▁the ▁dead , ▁and ▁exp iation ▁of ▁pro dig ies . ▁N uma ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁founded ▁Roman ▁religion ▁after ▁dedic ating ▁an ▁alt ar ▁on ▁the ▁A vent ine ▁Hill ▁to ▁Jup iter ▁E lic ius ▁and ▁consult ing ▁the ▁gods ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁aug ury . ▁N uma ▁wrote ▁down ▁and ▁se aled ▁these ▁religious ▁instructions , ▁and ▁gave ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us , ▁N uma