Brief introduction of Roman religion

In many ancient and modern societies, religion played an important role in its development, and the Roman Empire was no exception. Roman religion was polytheism from the beginning. Rome joined the Greek gods and some foreign cults from the original array of gods in this * * *. With the expansion of the empire, the Romans stopped imposing their religious beliefs on the people they conquered. However, this kind of tolerance cannot be misunderstood as tolerance-this can be seen from their early reactions to Jews and Christians. Eventually all their gods will be washed away and gradually replaced by Christianity. In the eyes of some people, this change brought about the decline of the western empire.

Early beliefs and influences

The early form of Roman religion was essentially animism, which believed that the soul existed in everything around them, including people. The first citizens of Rome also believed that the spirits of their ancestors were watching them. At first, the Hill Trio (probably influenced by Sabin) joined these "spirits"-new gods include Mars, God Wars and so-called fathers romulus and remus (the founders of Rome); Quirinus, the deified romulus to protect the Roman people; Finally, Jupiter, the most high god. They were enshrined with the gods in a temple on Mount Bitolli. Later, due to the Etruscans, the Trinity became the highest god including Jupiter. Juno, his wife and sister; And Minerva, the daughter of Jupiter.

Due to the existence of Greek colonies in the Lower Peninsula, the Romans regarded many Greek gods as their own. Religion and myth are one. Under the influence of Greece, Roman gods became more anthropomorphic-with human characteristics such as jealousy, love and hate, but this transformation did not reach the level of Greek mythology. In Rome, the personal expression of faith is not important, but it is more important to strictly abide by a set of strict rituals to avoid the harm of religious fanaticism. The city has its own patron saint and held its own ceremony. The whole empire built temples to worship the gods; However, these temples are considered as the "home" of God; Sacrifice was held outside the temple. Although this fusion of Roman and Greek gods has influenced Rome in many ways, their religion is still very practical.

Roman religion absorbed many gods and cults from conquered countries.

Although there are four pastoral colleges, there are no pastoral classes; It is always a public office. This practice will even extend to the palace. From the time of Emperor Augustus, the emperor will be awarded the title of pontifex maximus or Chief Priest. In addition to Pontifex, there are also diviners, who read the internal organs of animals and the flight of birds to explain omens, or in other words, the will of God. In order to make the Romans win the battle, elaborate ceremonies were held, and no declaration of war or major activities were allowed without the explicit approval of the gods. Since the Etruscan era, people have always consulted soothsayers or soothsayers, and it is considered dangerous to ignore omens. The Roman diviner Sabrina read the internal organs of animals and predicted Caesar's death on March 15th. During the First Punic War, the Roman commander Tacitus Claudius Pulch ignored the omen in a battle during the First Punic War-refused to eat sacred chicken. He was defeated, and so was his military career.

With the expansion of the empire to the Balkans, Asia Minor and Egypt, Roman religion absorbed many gods and cults from conquered countries, but its main influence was always Greece. With a few exceptions, most Roman gods have their Greek gods. This Roman myth will have a great influence on the empire-politics and society-and the future of western civilization. People only need to look at the names of dates and months (Tuesday, Saturday, January and June), the languages of European countries and the names of planets (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto) to realize this influence.

the Roman Pantheon

Although the study of Roman mythology tends to emphasize the main gods-Jupiter, Neptune (Neptune), Pluto (the god of the underworld) and Juno-there are of course some "small" gods and goddesses, such as Nemesis, the god of revenge; Cupid; Pax, the God of Peace, and Nemesis. Nemesis.

However, when investigating Roman religion, we must examine the influence of the most important god. Of course, the most important of the gods is Jupiter, and Rome is equivalent to Zeus (though not so naughty) and his wife/sister Juno. He is the king of the gods; God of the sky (great protector)-controls the weather and natural forces and warns the Roman people with lightning. At first, as Jupiter, Illicius was associated with agriculture. With the development of the city, his role changed, and finally he had his own temple on Mount Bitolli. Later, he became the triumph of Emperor Invictus-the supreme general, invincible, and finally became Jupiter Optimus Maximus-the best and greatest. During the period when Emperor Eraga Balus tried to replace the rule of Roman religion with the religion of Syrian god Eragabal, his supremacy would be put on hold temporarily. After the emperor was assassinated, his successor, Alexander Severus, restored Jupiter's former glory. Next, Jupiter's wife/sister is Juno, and Juno is named after her-she is equivalent to Hera in Greece. Besides being the supreme goddess who owns a temple on Mount Esquelin, she is also the goddess of light and moon, which embodies all the virtues of the hood of a Roman housewife-as Juno Rusina, she became the goddess of fertility and prolificacy.

Juno was followed by Minerva, the Roman names of Athena and Mars. According to legend, Minerva was completely formed by Jupiter's head. She is the goddess of business, industry and education. Later, she was recognized as the goddess of Sivir and a doctor, musician and craftsman. Although it is no longer one of the triads in Bitolli, Mars is still an important god in Rome-similar to the Greek god of war Ares. Because of the avenger on Mars, this son Juno and her relationship with flowers, an assassin was presented to his temple by Emperor Augustus to commemorate the death of Julius Caesar. Roman commanders will sacrifice for him before and after the battle, and Tuesday is named after him.

There are many smaller gods (temples built for them)-Apollo, Di Anna, Saturn, Venus, Vulcan and Janus. Apollo is inferior to the Romans. He is only the Greek god of poetry, medicine, music and science. He was originally brought to this city by Etruscans to fight the plague, and was awarded a temple on Mount Palatini. Diana is the Roman sister of Apollo, equivalent to Artemis of Greece. She is not only the beast and the goddess of harvest, but also the goddess of hunting. She is regarded as the protector of childbearing women, and there is a temple in Asia Minor in Ephesus. Another god brought to Rome by the Etruscans was Saturn, an agricultural god equivalent to the Greek Cronus, who was banished from heaven by Jupiter. Every year from 65438+February 17 to 23rd, a festival will be held to commemorate him, Saturnalia. His temple is located at the foot of Mount Bitolli, where public finance and Senate decrees are stored. Another Roman goddess is Venus. According to the myth, she was born in a sea bubble, equivalent to the Greek Aphrodite. According to Homer, she was the mother of Aeneas, the hero of the Trojan War. Of course, Venus was named after her. Then there was Vulcan, who was exiled from heaven by Jupiter, a lame and ugly blacksmith and Vulcan. Finally, the Greeks did not have an equal janus. He is the double guardian of the gate and the gate. Janus is valued for his wisdom and is the first god mentioned in people's prayers. Because of his two faces, he can see the past and future.

People can't forget Vesta virgins without Greek rivals. They are the guardians of Vesta fireplace in the atrium. They were girls selected from the aristocratic class at the age of six. At the age of ten, they began to serve the goddess Vesta and served her for the next thirty years. During their virginity, girls/women are forbidden to get married and must remain chaste. Some people choose to continue to serve Vesta after thirty years of service, because at forty, they are considered too old to get married. Breaking the vows of chastity will lead to death-there are only twenty vows that have been broken for more than a thousand years. Burroughs, the emperor of Elaga, tried to marry a virgin, but he was persuaded.

Cult worship

In addition to the worship of these gods, there are several cults-Bacchus, Sibly, Isis, Sarapis, witches and, most importantly, imperial worship. Some people are easily accepted by Roman society, while others are feared by those in power. Bacchus is a Roman god, which is related to the Greek god Dionysus and the early Roman god Liber Patri, who was also a Dionysian. Bacchus is most memorable for his intoxicating festival on March 17. On this day, young Roman men will become men. With the spread of his cult, the Roman Senate realized its dangerous potential and ordered a crackdown in BC 186. Since then, cults have gone underground.

Another ceremony is centered on Sibelli, the "great mother", who is a fertility goddess and has a temple on Mount Palatini, which is responsible for all aspects of a person's health. The goddess arrived in Athens in the 5th century BC and first appeared in Rome during the Punic War. Her priests are eunuchs, and many of her male followers are * * *. Next, the ancient Egyptian goddess Isis is best remembered in Egyptian mythology as the wife of Osiris and the mother of Horus. After becoming Hellenistic, she became the protector of sailors and fishermen. Arriving in Rome from Alexandria, Sarpis is the god of healing, and patients will go to her temple for treatment. Sybil was the priestess of Apollo, the Greek and Roman god. She came to Rome from the Greek colony of Kumai. She offered nine prophecies and witch books to King tarquin of Etruscan, but he thought the price was too high and refused. After she burned six books, he reconsidered and bought the remaining three. The Roman Senate consulted these three books in an emergency, but they were lost in the brutal invasion in the 5th century.

Finally, there are imperial cults. The idea of deifying the emperor appeared in the period of Emperor Augustus. During his reign, the Senate tried to name him God because he thought he was the son of God, not God. After his death, the Roman Senate rewarded him with apotheosis, which is an honor and will be awarded to many of his successors. Usually an emperor will ask to deify his predecessor. Of course, there are a few exceptions, especially Tiberius, caligula, Nero and Supley, who are considered too hateful to win honor. Caligula and Nero thought they were living gods, while Titus Flavius Domitianus thought he was the reincarnation of Hercules.

Roman religion was challenged.

Although Judaism and Christianity pose a threat to the empire respectively, they have one thing in common-they both refuse to participate in the worship of Roman gods and sacrifice in their respective temples. Although Jews have a firm foothold in the empire, they are often the target of the emperor and are often accused of any ills of the empire. Nero expelled them from Rome, and Titus, the son of Emperor Titus Flavius Caesar Vespasianus Augustus, will continue his father's war against Jews in the Jewish War, eventually destroying the city and killing thousands of citizens.

Although Christianity was originally regarded as a sect of Judaism, as this small sect began to grow, especially after the Roman fire, Emperor Nero became more skeptical. He even blamed them for the fire. They retaliated by calling him the antichrist. Over time, Christianity continued to spread throughout the empire, attracting women and slaves, as well as intellectuals and illiterates. In the place where the Christian church was burned down, persecution intensified, which continued under the rule of Diocletian (the emperor of the East) and ended in great persecution. For many people, Christians have offended pax deorum or "the peace of God".

Finally, under the leadership of Constantine the Great, Diocletian's successor, Christianity was finally recognized in the Milan edict in 3 13 AD. Constantine's kindness to Christianity can be traced back to the Battle of Milvin Bridge in 3 12 AD, where he saw a vision (the cross in the sky), which made him win and became the emperor of the unified Roman Empire. Later, in 325 AD, he called a Nicaean public meeting to reconcile the differences between different Christian factions. He rebuilt the church destroyed by Diocletian. According to some information, he converted to Christianity before his death (his mother was a Christian). After his death, Christianity continued to develop, eventually covering up and replacing the traditional Roman religion, and Rome even became the new center of Christianity. However, in the end, Christianity will still be blamed for the ills of the empire. In The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, edward gibbon partly blamed Christianity for the decline of the empire. In his eyes, it absorbed the energy of the people and made them unable to endure the adversity that plagued the empire. However, despite the ups and downs, religion has always been an important part of Roman society, from the time when the spirit of living in all things was deified by Roman/Greek gods and emperors to the Christian era.