Religion in the society

The ancient Romans were polytheistic, they worshipped many gods. Worship of the gods involved sacrifice and prayer. Roman religious rituals were cold and formal. The Romans were tolerant of the religious beliefs of the many people they conquered. This led to a wide range of religious cults emerging in Rome during the Imperial period.

The gods and goddesses of ancient Rome

There were two groups of gods and goddesses in ancient Rome. There was the official state religion worshipped in public and informal household spirits worshipped in private.

Many Roman gods and goddesses were borrowed from the Greek pantheon (group of gods and goddesses). Roman Jupiter was Zeus, Juno was Hera and Minerva was Athena. These gods were the most important in Roman state religion.

Below is a table of the most popular gods and goddesses worshipped by the Romans.Refer Image1

Republican religion

The Romans built temples for the state gods. Roman people attended public sacrifices and participated in religious festivals. Offerings to the gods came in many forms, including cakes, flowers, statues and animals. The most frequently sacrificed animals were oxen.

There were a number of priesthoods created to worship the Roman gods. The most important priests and priestesses in Roman religion were Pontiffs, Augurs, Fetiales, Flamens and Vestal Virgins. These positions were often occupied by Roman politicians as they climbed the political ladder.

The head of all priestly offices was the Pontifex Maximus, a position occupied for life. Pontifex Maximus meant chief bridge builder. In early Roman history, bridge builders were regarded as magical and were honoured.

Vestal Virgins were young women selected for service in the temple of Vesta from the age of six.
Their duty was to make sacrifices to the goddess Vesta and keep her sacred fire burning in the temple. The Vestal Virgins were only allowed to leave the temple after 30 years of service.

Before the Romans made important decisions such as going into battle or electing a new Pontifex Maximus, they would always check the omens to see if the gods approved of the action. This was called divination. Refer Image2

There were many ways to take auspices. Flights of birds, flashes of lightning, eclipses or other natural phenomena were interpreted as signs of the gods. The most common form of divination was done by examining the internal organs of sacrificed animals. If the internal organs showed any sign of disease, the omens were bad and the Romans would change their plans. If the internal organs were healthy, the Romans would go ahead.

The Romans were very superstitious. They believed in unlucky days and were afraid of owls, black cats, snakes and ghosts. Night was considered a time of 'shady' dealing. Romans never held Senate meetings during the night or during thunderstorms.

Household gods

The Romans worshipped many household spirits in private. These spirits were responsible for the wellbeing of the household and its inhabitants. Each Roman had a lararium (shrine) in their home where they prayed and made offerings to the household gods.

Imperial religion

As Rome was converted into an empire by Augustus, Roman religion changed.

The most significant change during the Augustan period was the introduction of the cult of Caesar. In contemporary Greece and the Near East, it was common for rulers to be worshipped as gods. For the Romans, the practice was not popular. Augustus was able to combine Eastern ruler worship with Roman ancestor worship.

Augustus took steps to have the deceased politician Julius Caesar deified and worshipped as a god. He was associated with gods and goddesses such as Venus, Mars and Apollo. After 12 BC religious cults were established for the worship of Rome, Augustus and Julius Caesar. Roman provincials worshipped these new gods and tightened Rome's imperial grip. Refer Image3 and animation

Augustus began a tradition of ruler worship. As each emperor died, his successor would declare him a god and erect statues and temples to him.

Another major change that occurred during the Imperial period was the introduction of foreign cults. Romans became disillusioned with their traditional cults and turned to foreign cults with their elaborate rituals and lifestyle guidelines. The Romans were especially attracted by the promise of an afterlife.

Romans became interested in the Egyptian goddess Isis and the Turkish goddess Cybele. These powerful and ancient mother goddesses attracted many female worshippers. Some Roman soldiers worshipped the Persian god Mithras. Initiation into the cult was frightening. Initiates met in underground temples and locked themselves in coffins for several hours.

There were several monotheistic religions practised in Rome. The most influential were Judaism and Christianity. The Romans launched a fierce campaign of persecution against the Christians and Jews who refused to worship the huge number of Roman gods and goddesses. Thousands of Christians and Jews were executed. It was illegal to practise Christianity until AD 311.
By AD 313, the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, paving the way for it to become the official religion and change the course of Western history.