_ius divinum_ on the mind of the early Roman. In the family what rules were needed were matter of tradition; deities were few, and offerings limited. But in the city-state it was very different; here even the _di indigetes_ were many, with diverse wishes and likings as well as functions: how were these to be ascertained and remembered at the right moment? Here, as in all methods of securing the _pax deorum_, a central supervising authority was needed, in whose knowledge and wisdom the whole community had confidence; and he was found in the rex, as is clearly shown in the whole traditional account of the priest-king Numa. Very naturally tradition also ascribed to Numa the institution of the pontifices, whom the historical Romans knew as succeeding the rex in the supervision of religious law.[373] If all went well, the victim going willingly and no ill omen supervening, the actual slaughter followed at the altar. During the whole operation silence was enjoined; the priests' heads were veiled with the folds of the toga;[374] pipers (_tibicines_) continued to play, in order that no unlucky sound or word might be heard which would make it necessary to start afresh with another victim (_instauratio_). Immediately before the slaughter the victim was made holier than ever by sprinkling upon it fragments of sacred cake made of _far_ (_immolatio_), and by pouring on it libations of wine from a _foculus_ or movable altar containing this holy condiment, together with incense if that were used in the rite. As soon as it was dead, the internal organs were examined to make sure that there was no physical defect or abnormal growth, for it was, of course, quite as necessary that the animal should be "purus" within as without; this was the only object of the examination, until the Etruscan art of _extipicina_ made its way to Rome. What became of the blood we are not told; I have already remarked that blood has curiously little part in Roman ritual and custom.[375] But the _exta_, _i.e._ internal organs of life, were separated from the rest of the carcase, and carefully cooked in holy vessels, before being laid upon the altar (_porrectio_), together with certain slices of flesh called _magmenta_, or increase-offerings, while the rest of the flesh, which had now lost its holiness, was retained for the use of the priests.[376] The time occupied in the actual slaughter and inspection of the organs was not long; but the cooking of these must have been often a lengthy process. Ovid tells us how on April 25 he met the Flamen Quirinalis carrying out the exta of a dog and a sheep, which had been sacrificed at Rome to Robigus that morning, in order to lay them on the altar of that deity at the fifth milestone on the Via Claudia.[377] Certain days in the calendar, called _endotercisi_, which were _nefasti_ in morning and evening, were _fasti_ in the middle of the day, between the slaying of a victim and the placing of its exta on the altar (_inter hostiam caesam