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Why is the so-called rex sacrorum, that is to say
‘king of the sacred rites,’ forbidden to hold office or
to address the people?1
Is it because in early times the kings performed the
greater part of the most important rites, and themselves offered the sacrifices with the assistance of the
priests? But when they did not practise moderation,
but were arrogant and oppressive, most of the Greek
states took away their authority, and left to them
only the offering of sacrifice to the gods ; but the
Romans expelled their kings altogether, and to offer
the sacrifices they appointed another, whom they did
not allow to hold office or to address the people, so
that in their sacred rites only they might seem to be
subject to a king, and to tolerate a kingship only on
the gods' account.2 At any rate, there is a sacrifice
traditionally performed in the forum at the place
called Comitium, and, when the rex has performed
this, he flees from the forum as fast as he can.3
[p. 101]
Plutarch. Moralia. with an English Translation by. Frank Cole Babbitt. Cambridge, MA. Harvard University Press. London. William Heinemann Ltd. 1936. 4.
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