▁Mar cius . ▁ ▁Roman ▁Republic ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Roman ▁Republic , ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁was ▁the ▁highest ▁office ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁religion ▁of ▁ancient ▁Rome ▁and ▁directed ▁the ▁College ▁of ▁Pont iffs . ▁According ▁to ▁Liv y , ▁after ▁the ▁over throw ▁of ▁the ▁mon archy , ▁the ▁Rom ans ▁created ▁the ▁priest hood ▁of ▁the ▁re x ▁sac ror um , ▁or ▁" king ▁of ▁sacred ▁r ites ," ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁certain ▁religious ▁duties ▁and ▁rit uals ▁previously ▁performed ▁by ▁the ▁king . ▁The ▁re x ▁sac ror um ▁was ▁explicitly ▁dep riv ed ▁of ▁military ▁and ▁political ▁power , ▁but ▁the ▁pont ific es ▁were ▁permitted ▁to ▁hold ▁both ▁mag istra cies ▁and ▁military ▁commands . ▁ ▁The ▁official ▁residence ▁of ▁the ▁Pont if ex ▁Maxim us ▁was ▁the ▁Dom us ▁Public a ▁(" State ▁House ") ▁which ▁stood ▁between ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁the ▁V est al ▁Vir g ins ▁and ▁the ▁Via ▁Sac ra , ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁Reg ia , ▁in ▁the ▁Roman ▁Forum . ▁His ▁religious ▁duties ▁were ▁carried ▁out ▁from ▁the ▁Reg ia . ▁Unless ▁the ▁pont if ex ▁maxim us ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁magistr ate , ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁allowed ▁to ▁wear ▁the ▁to ga ▁pra et ext a , ▁i . e . ▁to ga ▁with ▁the ▁pur ple ▁border . ▁In ▁art istic ▁representations , ▁he ▁can ▁be ▁recognized ▁by ▁his ▁holding ▁an ▁iron ▁kn ife ▁( se ces p ita ) ▁or ▁the ▁p ater a , ▁and