Etruscans Ancient Rome Medieval Rome Renaissance Baroque Modern Rome

Roman Empire Religion

By the time of Horace and Emperor Augustus religious ceremony had become more of a practice to be kept up with rigor coming before actual personal belief. Wealth and the literacy of Greece together with theatre had done much to reshape Roman minds so that the gods became increasingly like other beings with whom bargains could be struck, rather like one could strike mercantile contracts at the forum.

The attitude towards the gods was somewhat different to the attitude we might have nowadays. Whilst religion today is a personal issue in those days it wasn't at all. What was important was that ceremony and ritual had been duly kept to so that the gods in question should be kept happy towards you.

Astrology and other types of Mysticism were also followed with keen interest and in fact were deeply intertwined with the gods themselves. As an example, Emperor Augustus had his own extremely propitious star signs published for all to see and he even had his own tomb built, subdivided and oriented according to his birth stars!

We quickly come to see how "Religion" in ancient Rome wasn't the relationship between an individual and his god(s) as we might expect nowadays. Rather, it was a miscellany of Spirits, Genii, Gods, Priests, Seers or Augurs, Mysticism and a number of other elements to boot which had to be kept happy through appropriate rituals. The individual would do well to ensure the proper rites were performed on pain of personal punishment (from the gods) although he himself didn't necessarily have to undertake them.

Not surprisingly the gradual multiplication of gods and their temples achieved a progressive dilution of their significance and importance. An interesting anecdote is of the intellectual emperor-architect Hadrian (117-138) who designed and built the largest temple in Rome: the temple to "Venus and Rome". "Rome" in this case is the city-goddess incarnate (or not). This was a double temple with gigantic statues of the two goddesses sat back to back.

The story goes that Hadrian spoke of his plans with the great architect Apollodorus who replied, rashly, that if one of the goddesses were to stand up she would knock a hole in the roof. Apollodorus didn't last long after that, the temple is still there in part thanks to its conversion into a church during the Middle Ages. I guess Apollodorus might have regarded his demise as a result of his insolence to Rome!

Roman Religion towards the end of the Empire and the shift to Christianity

Thinking of the Middle Ages and multitudes of Gods I cynically compare the ancient Roman's habit of going to this or that god according to requirement to the later Roman Catholics who turned to this or that saint (to intercede with God) according to the particular situation. This was particularly the case during the Middle Ages and came to be one of the fundamental problems underlying the Catholic/Protestant reformation movement.

The modern Italian writer-philosopher Luciano de Crescenzo wittingly writes in his book "Cosi' Parlo' Bellavista" how this is often seen in the Naples of today. Such was the case also at the time when the Roman empire had essentially christianised. This happened to coincide with that period largely considered as the decline and fall of the Roman empire (or at least the western portion of it).

Ancient Roman Gods | ancient roman religion | The Gods of Rome and Politics | Christianity in Ancient Rome |

Roman history | Roman Army | Ancient Roman Weapons | Rome Total War | Roman Emperors, Caesars and Leaders | caligula | augustus | Julius Caesar | Cleopatra | Emperor Nero |
Roman Empire | Economy of Ancient Rome | Roman Coins | Roman Art |Roman Architecture | Roads and Building | Hadrians wall |
Roman Government & Law | Social Structure and Class | Romans | Slavery | Senate |
Ancient Roman Religion | Pantheon | Roman Gods | Goddesses | god Jupiter | mars |Goddess Venus | hercules | Rome Vestal Virgins | Roman Catholic Church | Christian Persecution in the Roman Empire |
Roman Games, Sport and Leisure | Gladiators | Colosseum | Circus Maximus and Chariot Races | Roman Baths | Prostitution and Orgies in Ancient Rome|
Many aspects of Ancient Roman Life | Shopping | roman numerals | toga party |
About Rome Geography and City | Map of Ancient Rome | Maps |Pictures of Ancient Rome| Index of Ancient Rome | free screen savers | Ancient Pompeii |

Please email us if you feel a correction is required to the Rome information provided. Please read the disclaimer

"Roman Empire Religion" was written by Giovanni Milani-Santarpia for www.mariamilani.com - Rome apartments