REX SACRĬFĬCŬLUS

REX SACRĬFĬCUS, or REX SACRORUM. When the civil and military powers of the king were transferred to two praetors or consuls, upon the establishment of the republican government at Rome, these magistrates were not invested with that part of the royal dignity by virtue of which the king had been the high priest of his nation and had conducted several of the sacra public a, but this priestly part of his office was transferred to a priest called Rex Sacrificulus or Rex Sacrorum. The first rex sacrorum was designated, at the command of the consuls, by the college of pontiffs, and inaugurated by the augurs. He was always elected and inaugurated in the comitia curiata under the presidency of the pontiffs, and as long as a rex sacrificulus was appointed at Rome, he was always a patrician, for as he had no influence upon the management of political affairs, the plebeians never coveted this dignity. Considering that this priest was the religious representative of the kings, he ranked indeed higher than all other priests, and even higher than the pontifex maximus, but in power and influence he was far inferior to him. He held his office for life, was not allowed to hold any civil or military dignity, and was at the same time exempted from all military and civil duties. His principal functions were: 1. To perform those sacra public a which had before been performed by the kings; and his wife, who bore the title of regina sacrorum , had also, like the queens of former days, to perform certain priestly functions. These sacra public a he or his wife had to perform on all the Calends, Ides, and the Nundines; he to Jupiter, and she to Juno in the regia. 2. On the days called regifugium he had to offer a sacrifice in the comitium. [ Regifugium . ] 3. When extraordinary portent a seemed to announce some general calamity, it was his duty to try to propitiate the anger of the gods. 4. On the nundines, when the people a embled in the city, the rex sacrorum announced ( edicebat ) to them the succe ion of the festivals for the month. This part of his functions, however, must have ceased after the time of Cn. Flavius. He lived in a dom us public a on the via sacra, near the regia and the house of the vestal virgins.