▁fifteen ▁needed ▁to ▁be ▁present .) ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁pont ific es ▁varied ▁during ▁the ▁Empire ▁but ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁regular ▁at ▁fifteen . ▁ ▁Ext ra ordinary ▁appointment ▁of ▁dict ators ▁The ▁office ▁came ▁into ▁its ▁own ▁with ▁the ▁abol ition ▁of ▁the ▁mon archy , ▁when ▁most ▁sac ral ▁powers ▁previously ▁v ested ▁in ▁the ▁King ▁were ▁transferred ▁either ▁to ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁or ▁to ▁the ▁R ex ▁Sac ror um , ▁though ▁tradition ally ▁a ▁( non - polit ical ) ▁dict ator ▁was ▁formally ▁mand ated ▁by ▁the ▁Senate ▁for ▁one ▁day , ▁to ▁perform ▁a ▁specific ▁r ite . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Liv y ▁in ▁his ▁" History ▁of ▁Rome ", ▁an ▁ancient ▁instruction ▁written ▁in ▁arch a ic ▁letters ▁commands : ▁" Let ▁him ▁who ▁is ▁the ▁Pra et or ▁Maxim us ▁fast en ▁a ▁n ail ▁on ▁the ▁I des ▁of ▁September ." ▁This ▁notice ▁was ▁fast ened ▁up ▁on ▁the ▁right ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁Temple ▁of ▁Jup iter ▁Opt im us ▁Maxim us , ▁next ▁to ▁the ▁chap el ▁of ▁Min erva . ▁This ▁n ail ▁is ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁marked ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁the ▁year . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁accord ance ▁with ▁this ▁direction ▁that ▁the ▁cons ul ▁Hor ati us ▁dedicated ▁the ▁Temple ▁of ▁Jup iter ▁Opt im us ▁Maxim us ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁following ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁of ▁the ▁k ings ; ▁from ▁the ▁Cons uls ▁the ▁ceremony ▁of ▁fast ening ▁the ▁n ails ▁passed ▁to