A Pompilium
As Romulus suddenly disappeared, the Romans did not know who would be the successor to the throne.
The Sabines wanted a Sabine ruler, but the Romans could not bear the idea of being ruled by someone other than Roman.
These discussions benefited the neighboring peoples, who, taking advantage of the lack of a ruler to put order in the region, began to seize lands and cattle of Sabines and Romans.
The Senators determined that the people should elect a king as soon as possible and the Senate would ratify it later.
They searched for candidates for a long time and the most appropriate for their conditions as pious and wise man was Numa Pompilio. They tried to convince Numa with a lot of arguments, but he wouldn't accept the charge. Despite their refusal, they proposed their name to the Senate and its members unanimously approved it.
When Numa saw that he had no escape, he asked for an interpreter of omens or an augur to be consulted. The augur reached the Capitol and prayed before Jupiter asking him for a sign to ratify Numa as ruler of Rome. Suddenly, a flock of vultures flew across the sky just as Romulus had happened.
They interpreted this as a positive sign and Numa was forced to accept the charge.
Numa raised a temple to the god Janus, who was the god of gates and entrances.
That temple had two huge doors. If they were open, it was a sign that there was a conflict and if they were closed, it indicated that the conflict was over.
Numa concluded peace treaties with neighboring peoples and the temple doors remained closed during his reign.
Because Numa was a pious man, he taught his people how to worship the gods by creating a calendar where he separated the days Fastos, which means happy, from the Nephast which means wretched.
Legend says that Numa had magical powers and that on one occasion, when he had guests to a Banquet and it was not prepared in time, the tables were magically filled with the most exquisite delicacies and the most delicate wines.
Numa Pompilio was more a priest than a king. That's why I create Priestly Colleges. The one of the Flamines, Augures,Salians, Fetials, Pontiffs and Vestials.
Since Numa knew this situation and knew it was difficult for a king, he instituted the post of Pontiff. The Pontiff was to devote himself exclusively to the worship of the gods and religious festivities.