Roman Religion

Roman Empire is a term which is mostly used to describe a polity of Ancient Rome after the fall of Roman Republic. Roman Republic existed until 476, when the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustus was down thrown. Before that would happen, the Roman Empire divided in two parts, the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire.

In the beginning, everyday life of inhabitants of the Empire was mostly simple. Later, after successful conquest triumphs, herders and farmers became true citizens of Roman Empire. The center of common, daily activities was in Roman Square (Forum Romanum) and in Roman Barium (Cattle Market). Also, in the city center was located the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and the Senate building (Curia Hostilia). The patriarchal family was the basic unit of Roman society. Education in Rome was similar to that seen in Sparta. Like the Spartans, Romans didn't pay much attention to art and spirituality . The streets were almost always overcrowded. Romans usually wore a tunic, and it was the most important part of Roman clothing. Other than describing the everyday activities of Roman citizens, we should pay special attention to their religion. As with everything, Romans attitude towards religion was quite practical. This probably is one of a reasons why they couldn't understand a single, all-seeing, all-powerful god who came with Christianity. Long before rise of Christianity, Roman religion was linked to the ground, to the land. They mainly worshiped agricultural figures and objects from everyday life. They worshiped Mars as well. Mars who was originally associated with vegetation, suddenly left the silo and the agrarian life, and ran out to the battlefield . Greek culture and influence over time, reach out to them, and at one point they accepted the Greek gods. The popularity of the Greek pantheon around the Mediterranean world, came because of the great popularity of Homer and the Atenean tragedians. That outreach was best seen in Rome. As we can see, Roman religious life has suffered impacts from various sides. In first decades of new era they developed a cult of the Emperor, which was one of the most important causes for the fall of Roman religion. Christians simply did not want to respect the cult. Another foreign deity to infiltrate Rome was Mithras, a mystery cult, which was imported into Rome in the middle of the first century.

At the Ancient times, in almost every land existed some sort of belief dedicated to the Sun. Romes parthenon supports this claime. As dynastical temple and a symbol of power, of principate, a temple was built as a residence for solar deities, maybe even for a supreme deity, the Sun. In Rome the Sun was always worshiped. First as Sol and Apollo, and then as Mhitras. All activities, political or sacral of the Romans were based on daily walk of the Sun. That was the nature of religious beliefs of all devotees of the Sun cult. If we speak about particularities of religious worship, truth is that devoted Romans never did anything without approval of their gods will . That was the part, as we already said, of their daily activities. After proclaiming the Edict of Milan (313), all religious groups got freedom. The person who allowed freedom of belief, was emperor Constantine the Great. He was a very interesting person, he actually gave freedom to Christianity, declared himself as a Christian, but whole life remained pagan, worshiper and a member of the Sun cult. His conversion to Christianity, scared many devotees of the Sun cult in the 4th century AD.

Pagans didn't have any metaphysical tendencies or interests for historical reality. For them, fairness was possible only through a regular series of seasons, otherwise chaos would rise . This is the reason for such a high devotion to the Sun cult and superstitious. Pagans did not want to disrupt the order of nature. They could not understand the meaning behind miracles. Techniques of worshiping held a far greater importance for them. Pagan religion sought out ways and magical solutions to appease the gods and avert their anger. Its primary motivation was mostly fear. That means they did not seek forgiveness for their sins or a restoration to the union with the Holly God, but they just wanted to be left alone to live their lives.

Initially, Christianity was not a problem for pagans. The problem was not in respecting one more god, but in the denial of all others. Peace in the empire depended on harmonious relations between all religious movements. Second, fear of the consequences to the Edict of Milan was political. Christians demanded a change of state order. On the other hand, Christians were peaceful and they respected Roman Law very much, but they could not accept the divine role of the Emperor. Romans cultivated the cult of the emperor, who had a divine role of a savior and guardian of peace. Christians did not want to accept the divine role of terrestrial emperor. For them, Empire was not important, because they believed in arrival of Heavenly Kingdom. What was the significance of the emperor, we can see from the description of Roman Triumph, public ceremony.

Emperor was dressed in regalia that has been traditionally worn by Roman monarchy, but that could been associated with the statue of Jupiter Capitolinus: the purple and gold "toga picta", laurel crown, red boots and, again possibly, the red-painted face of Rome's supreme deity. The procession went through the city to the temple of Capitoline Jupiter , while the emperor was riding a four-horse chariot escorted by the applauding crowd.

The enormous change came with the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the early fourth century. Then, the church took off by leaps and bounds so that by the end of the century, fully half of the empire called itself Christian. All his life, he remained pagan, he had never stopped respecting the solar cult, either by building and restoring their temples, or by presenting himself with their insignia on coins, or by decreeting the day for the celebration of God of Sun. For his great merits related to the institutionalization of the Church, Constantine was canonized.

BibliographyCasson, Lionel, (1999) Everyday Life in Ancient Rome (Revised and Expanded Edition). The Johns Hopkins University Press.Stierlin, Henri, (1996) The Roman Empire, Taschen, London.

Plakides, Stavros, (1974) The Geocentric and the Heliocentric Theory, Athenes.Eliade, Mircea, (1982) A History of Religious Ideas, vol. II, From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity, translated: W. Trask, Chicago, IL.Robin Lane Fox, (1988) Pagans and Christians, Harpercollins, London.

History and Civilization, A Guide to writing in history and classics, Section 12, Roman Cults and Worship, Damen, 2013.

Casson, Lionel (1999). Everyday Life in Ancient Rome (Revised and Expanded Edition). The Johns Hopkins University Press

History and Civilization, A Guide to writing in history and classics, Section 12, Roman Cults and Worship, Damen, 2013

Ibid.

Stierlin Henri, (1996) The Roman Empire, London, p 155 158.

Plakides, Stavros: 1974, The Geocentric and the Heliocentric Theory, Athenes.

Eliade, Mircea A History of Religious Ideas, vol. II, From Gautama Buddha to the Triumph of Christianity, translated: W. Trask, Chicago, IL, 1982

Ibid

Robin Lane Fox, Pagans and Christians, Harpercollins, London, (January 1988)