▁em per ors ▁no ▁longer ▁appear ▁in ▁the ▁dign ity ▁of ▁pont iff , ▁but ▁the ▁title ▁was ▁later ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁Christian ▁bishop ▁of ▁Rome . ▁In ▁ 3 8 2 , ▁the ▁Emperor ▁Gr at ian , ▁at ▁the ▁ur ging ▁of ▁Am bro se , ▁removed ▁the ▁Alt ar ▁of ▁Vict ory ▁from ▁the ▁Forum , ▁with d rew ▁the ▁state ▁subs id ies ▁that ▁fund ed ▁many ▁pag an ▁activities ▁and ▁formally ▁ren ounced ▁the ▁title ▁of ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 5 th ▁century , ▁when ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁stir red ▁up ▁new ▁interest ▁in ▁ancient ▁Rome , ▁" P ont if ex ▁Maxim us " ▁became ▁a ▁regular ▁title ▁of ▁honour ▁for ▁Pop es . ▁ ▁While ▁the ▁title ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁has ▁for ▁some ▁centuries ▁been ▁used ▁in ▁ins cri ptions ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁Pop es , ▁it ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁included ▁in ▁the ▁official ▁list ▁of ▁pap al ▁titles ▁published ▁in ▁the ▁An nu ario ▁Pont ific io . ▁ ▁The ▁title ▁of ▁" P ont if ex ▁Maxim us " ▁thus ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁ancient ▁history , ▁d ating ▁back ▁to ▁the ▁times ▁of ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic , ▁but ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁pre date ▁the ▁word ▁" po pe " ▁itself ▁( in ▁Greek , ▁" π ά π π α ς "), ▁which ▁is ▁found ▁already ▁in ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁H omer ▁as ▁a ▁name ▁used ▁by ▁a ▁child ▁for ▁address ing ▁a ▁father . ▁This