Religion of Ancient Rome

Part I : Early Rome

•The early Romans were animistic (animus, animi, m. – mind, spirit)

•They believed that all things, especially things in nature, had a spirit or a soul.

• Numina (numen, numinis, n.) – divine spirits present in every object.

• Ex. Spirit of sheep breeding, spirit of the olive tree, spirit of the planted seed.

• These numina had no mythology.

• Pales the numen of the herds was neither male nor female

• Animal sacrifices were made to important numina.

• The skin, fat, and bones were given to the numina by burning them.

• The humans feasted on the meat.

• Genus, genii, m. – Spirit of ancestors who protected and instructed in proper behavior.

• Romans often had shrines in their homes to the Genii.

Lar, laris, larium, m. & Penates, penatium, m.

These were the household spirits

Part II

Religion in the Roman Republic

The Romans came in contact with Etruscans and Greeks living in Southern Italy and Sicily.

The Romans were influenced by these polytheistic cultures.

12 Gods formed the heavenly Senate (Dei Consentes)

6 males and 6 females

• These gods were anthropomorphic (had human characteristics)

• They lived on Mt. Olympus in Greece.

Jupiter (Iupiter, Iovis)/ Zeus

•King of the gods and mortals.

•Wisest of the gods.

•Symbols=> Eagles and thunderbolts

Bronze Statue in National Museum in Athens

Juno (Iuno, Iunonis)/ Hera • Queen of the gods and

mortals .

• Jupiter’s sister and wife.

• Guardian of females.

• Protector of Rome and her treasury.

• Symbols=> Peacock

Apollo (Apollo,apollonis)/Apollo •Son of Zeus and Latonia

•God of archery, music, medicine, the sun, prophecy, poetry, dance.

Apollo’s Symbols=>bow & arrow, lyre, laurel wreath, swans, dolphins

Diana (Diana, -ae)/Artemis • Twin sister of Apollo

• Goddess of the moon, hunting, chastity, wild animals.

• Often accompanied by a chorus of woodland nymphs.

Neptune (Neptunus, –i)/Poseidon • Jupiter’s brother.

• God of the water; creator of horses; causes earthquakes.

• Symbols=> trident, horses

Minerva (Minerva, -ae)/Athena • Daughter of Jupiter and the

Titan Metis

• Goddess of wisdom, strategic war, spinning, weaving, and other hadicrafts

Creator of the olive tree. Symbols=>Owl

Mars (Mars, Martis)/ Ares • Son of Jupiter and Juno

• God of savage war

• Father of Romulus, the founder of Rome.

• Symbols=> vulture, wild dogs

Venus(Venus,Veneris)/Aphrodite

• When Uranus’s (father sky, grandfather of Jupiter) blood fell into the sea, she rose from the foam.

• Goddess of love and beauty

• She is often accompanied by her son Cupid.

• She was the unfaithful wife of Vulcan.

• Mother of the Trojan (Roman) hero Aeneas.

• Symbols=> Rose, dove

Vulcan (Volcanus, i)/Hephaestus • Son of Jupiter and Juno

• God of fire and blacksmiths

• Husband of Venus.

• His helpers are Cyclopes.

Statue in Birmingham, AL

Vulcan’s workshop is under Mt. Etna, an active volcano in Sicily.

Vesta (Vesta, -ae)/Hestia • A numen before the time of King

Numa Pompilius who established her as the goddess of the hearth.

• There are no surviving myths about Vesta.

• The eternal flame of Rome is guarded by her 6 maidens, the Vestal Virgins.

• Her temple is the oldest in the Forum.

• Later she was associated with the Greek goddess, Hestia.

Mercury (Mercuius, -i)/ Hermes • Son of Jupiter and Maia

• Messenger of the gods

• God of travelers, merchants, thieves

• Led souls of the dead to the underworld

Symbols=>

Caduceus (magic wand), winged sandals, and a helmet.

Ceres (Ceres, Cereris)/ Demeter • Sister of Jupiter

• Goddess of grain, agriculture, and motherly love.

• Mother of Proserpina (Persephone), the queen of the underworld.

Pluto (Pluto, Plutonis –Dis) Hades

Brother of Jupiter and Neptune.

King of the Underworld and the deadHusband of Proserpina (Persepone)

Helmet of Invisibility

Other Important Gods & Goddesses

Fortuna • Personification of luck.

• She was brought by the last 3 kings of Rome from Etruria.

Janus• God of good beginnings and

good endings.

• God of gates and doors

• Often depicted by a head with 2 faces

• Worshiped at harvest, weddings, and births

• The gates of Janus’s temple remained open during the time of war.

• January is named after him.

• In Latin we get the following words from his name:

Ianua, ianuae, f. – door

Ianitor, ianitoris, m. –doorman.

Saturn-Saturnus, -i/Cronus• Father of Jupiter

• His wife was Ops.

• He and Ops were dethroned in pre-history.

• They came to Italy and ruled over a golden age of peace and plenty.

The Romans celebrated the Satrunalia from Dec. 17 to Dec. 24 in commemoration of this time.

Bacchus - Dionysus

• God of wine, parties, and the theater• Son of Zeus and

Semele• Born from Zeus’s side

• Bacchus could be jovial and kind

• He could also be cruel and drive men to madness

• His priestesses were called - Maenads

Isis• Egyptian goddess

• Ideal wife and mother

• Nature goddess

• Friend to the poor and enslaved

• Goddess of beer, bread, and greenfields.

Mithra• Persian god of the sun, justice,

business, and war.

• Popular with the Roman legions.

• Initiation into this mystery cult required the sacrifice of a bull.

• The initiate was baptized in its blood.

Cybele/ Gaia

Ancient cults worshiped her as Mother Earth.

Quirinus - Romulus diefied• When Romulus was old, one day

while walking on the Campus Martius, he was encircled by a cloud.

• He was taken to Mt. Olympus where he lived as a god.

• Originally Quirinus was the Sabine god of war

Miscellaneous Information

Imperial Cult

From Julius Caesar to the inception of Christianity, all Roman Emperors (Caligula, Nero, and Commodus excluded) were deified after their deaths.

Pontifex Maximus• Head priest of Rome’s state

religion.

• This literally means “the greatest bridge builder” (bridge to the gods).

• Augustus here is dressed as Pontifex Maximus

Flamen

A Flamen was a priest for a specific god.

Augur

Augurs were priests who read the fight of birds, lighting, and thunder to predict the future

Haruspices

• The reading of the entrails of birds to predict the future.

• Legions always traveled with a large coup of chickens

Sibyl of Cumae

• Oldest priestess of Apollo

• She was immortal, but not eternally young.

The Sibyl lived in a cave in Italy.

She was Aeneas’s guide to the Underworld

Sibylline Books• A collection of books that

told the future of Rome.

• These were sold to Tarquin II, the sixth king of Rome