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The whitened tables of the Pontifices preserved carefully the records of the eclipses and other atmospherical phenomena, and what we call the art of verifying dates was known to them at an early time; but there was no spontaneous rise of physical science to suggest by its analogies of law and order a new method of research, nor any natural springing up of the questioning spirit of philosophy with its unification of all phenomena and all knowledge.
But in the case of the second college the pontifices the influence of Rome probably led to the introduction of that name into the general Latin scheme instead of some earlier perhaps more than one designation; or a hypothesis which philologically has much in its favour -pons- originally signified not "bridge," but "way" generally, and -pontifex- therefore meant "constructor of ways."
Just as the old Saxon -writan- signifies properly to tear, thence to write. 20. -Ratio Tuscanica,: cavum aedium Tuscanicum. Augustin. De Civ. Dei, iv. 31; comp. Comp, above, XIV. Development of Alphabets in Italy. I. XIII. Handicrafts I. XII. Nature of the Roman Gods I. XII. Pontifices Art Artistic Endowment of the Italians Poetry is impassioned language, and its modulation is melody.
When Caesar accordingly hesitated and enquired of the pontifices whether it was permissible to wed her while pregnant, they answered that if the origin of the foetus were doubtful, the marriage should be put off, but if it were definitely admitted, nothing prevented an immediate consummation.
The nucleus of the so-called -leges regiae- was probably not much more recent. These were certain precepts chiefly of a ritual nature, which rested upon traditional usage, and were probably promulgated to the general public under the form of royal enactments by the college of pontifices, which was entitled not to legislate but to point out the law.
They were intended, moreover, to withdraw from the nobles the exclusive possession of spiritual dignities; and in carrying out this purpose for reasons sufficiently obvious the old Latin priesthoods of the augurs and Pontifices were left to the old burgesses, but these were obliged to open up to the new burgesses the third great college of more recent origin and belonging to a worship that was originally foreign.
The Ogulnian law of 454 accordingly threw these also open to plebeians, by increasing the number both of the pontifices and of the augurs from six to nine, and equally distributing the stalls in the two colleges between patricians and plebeians. Equivalence of Law and Plebiscitum
When Cicero was recalled the question came before the pontifices, who decided that the consecration was not valid unless it had been done by the "order of the people." It could not be denied on the face of it that there had been such an order.
But in the case of the second college the pontifices the influence of Rome probably led to the introduction of that name into the general Latin scheme instead of some earlier perhaps more than one designation; or a hypothesis which philologically has much in its favour -pons- originally signified not "bridge," but "way" generally, and -pontifex- therefore meant "constructor of ways."
For all writing of history was associated with the calendar and the book of annals; and, as from the organization of the Roman courts of law no tradition could originate in these courts themselves, it was necessary that the knowledge of legal principles and procedure should be traditionally preserved in the college of the Pontifices, which alone was competent to give an opinion respecting court-days and questions of religious law.
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