Religions of RomePart III

1. Old Roman ReligionOriginal State Religion:All of Rome originally– Based on Greek deities– Very superstitious!! – Lares & Penates, Numina (spirit of a place), Augurs.

• Elites – turned to Greek Philosophy– Stoicism – Cicero – Roman orator & writer– Individual duty – Pursuit of justice = individual’s highest public duty– Scorned those who took power & money as immoral,

illegal, unjust.

Lararium

Augurs

“Divining” the future, reading signs in nature

Pontifex Maximus• Highest religious office in Rome

– Stepping stone to more power– Public rituals, bless temples– Regulated calendars– Administer law of adoption & wills– Regulator of public morals, incl. punishment

• NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE ITALY! Needed to keep their holiness and power in Rome at all times.

• With Augustus, it became part of the Emperor’s duty

• Later, Catholic church took this title for the Bishop of Rome, the Pope

Vestal Virgins• Served Vesta, goddess of Hearth/ Home• Fundamental to survival of Rome

• Kept Sacred Fire lit, brought water from sacred spring & prepared food for rituals

• Kept sacred objects (ie: wills of public Julius Caesar & Marc Antony)

• Vow of Chastity, Service for 30 years – Buried alive if broke her vow; lover tortured publicly & put to death.

• Could not leave Rome.

“Vae, puto, deus fio!”• “Cripes, I think I am becoming a god!” Uttered

by Emperor Vespasian upon his death in 79 CE, somewhat tongue in cheek… He was a very practical military man, but knew that he would be deified, regardless.

• In the Empire phase, all Roman emperors (and their families) were considered to become gods upon their deaths.

• Helped living rulers claims to legitimacy and infallibility.

• Some Roman emperors took extreme advantage while they were alive, requiring that their subjects worship and pray to them.

Emperor Augustus portrayed as Jupiter, King of the Gods.

2. Cult of the Roman Emperor

3. New Foreign “Mystery Religions”

Missionary Religions of Salvation: Appealed to the poor MASSES:

– Close-knit feeling of COMMUNITY: understanding, comfort, belonging, sense of purpose in large impersonal empire.

– Believed in Glorious REWARD after suffering on earth IF believers adhered to the path described. Especially appealed to poor, powerless, women, criminals, slaves, … Laid groundwork for quick acceptance of Christianity later.

–EXOTIC beliefs from far-away places in the Empire. Arrived with migrant workers, soldiers; missionaries traveled safe sea lanes of the Pax Romana.

Mystery Religionsof Salvation

A. Mithraism - men– From Anatolia– Soldier’s god, then also

popular with merchants, administrators

– Divine value of human life– Moral behavior,

brotherhood.– Community of believers– Ecstatic union with Mithras

himself after death

B. Cult of Isis –• Women (& men)• From Egypt• MOST POPULAR • Benevolent protector

goddess• Nurtured worshipers• Helped them cope with

rapid change, especially in urban, cosmopolitan society

C. Cult of Cybele / Magna Mater

• Phrygia Greece Rome

• Adopted by Roman Religion • Augustus identified it with his wife, Livia• Earth Mother - Embodies the fertile Earth – goddess of caverns, mountains, walls, fortresses, nature, the wild.

D. Cult of Dionysus

• From Greece - Practitioners sought mystical union with the god through wine, music, dancing, other rituals… For women and men.

4. Judaism

Sacred Literature• Tanakh - “Jewish Scripture”• Talmud – God’s Covenant

with the Jews as his Chosen People

• Torah – Pentateuch – 5 Books of Moses – Basis of Judaism and Written Law.

• Deep appreciation of scholarship

Rules10 CommandmentsDietary Law - Eat no pork, Kosher… Cover the head in prayer (humility)Sabbath

Age-Over 3,000 years old

High Priests – Led worship & studyRabbi – Today, expert on Theological & Legal Matters, Teacher, leader of worship, counselor…

Religions of Salvation

4. Essenes • sect of Judaism• Dead Sea Scrolls– Discovered in 1947

• Rituals – Baptism in Water, – Ritual Community meals

• Awaited an imminent savior to deliver them from Roman rule

The Temple in Jerusalem

Destruction of the Temple in 70 CE“Diaspora”

5. Christianity

Jesus of Nazareth • “Christ” – Anointed One

• Age 30 Travel, teaching, parables, healing.

• Roman POV: Preached social upheaval & political insurrection.

• “King of the Jews” = this description of Jesus posed a threat to Roman governance & to power of the High Priests.

• Arrested & put to death: Treason. He was not a Roman citizen, so he was not protected under Roman law.

• Resurrection• Ascension

Conversion of

St. Paul

• Role of Pax Romana in Spread of Christianity:• Paul = Roman Citizen • Legal, fast, safe travel

throughout Mediterranean.

• “Apostle to the Gentiles”• Preached to poor, and

non-Jewish!• Epistles - letters to the

people he converted• Helped this sect of

Judaism become its own religion

Wrote Epistles

• Spiritual equality for all– Hope, honor & dignity: all classes – Women – set up meetings in homes

• Close-knit communities supported members

• Decentralized authority – 200 years– Regional Bishops Remarkable disparity of teachings

• Like Jews, would not worship emperors so seen as a threat to security ridicule, persecution, campaigns of elimination…

Early Christianity

Christians & Jews …

During the empire period, they refused to worship the Roman Emperors as gods….

….and THIS was TREASON!

The Division and Eventual Fall of Western Rome…

Was a Gradual Process…

Vercingetorix

Questions

1. Why were foreign “mystery religions” so popular in the Roman Empire of the 1st century?

2. Basically, how were they similar, and how were they different?

3. Why were some of these beliefs persecuted and others were not?

4. Who was most interested in which new belief system? Ie: men, women; powerful, powerless; rich, poor?