RELIGION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

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RELIGION IN THE ROMAN EMPIRE

• Religion of the State Home
• Gods Goddesses

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Religion of the State

• State religion looked after the Roman people.
• The Vestal Virgins guarded the holy flame of Rome
  and performed other rituals.
• The pontifex maximus was the head of the Roman
  state religion - included 4 colleges or
  organizations that controlled public worship and
  rituals.
• Public religious festivals occurred every month.

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Roman Religion in the Home

• Women were required to guard and preserve the
  fire in the hearth. At the hearth, sacrifices
  were made to the gods and the ancestors of a
  family.
• 2 special household gods Janus, the god of
  doorways and beginnings, and Vesta, the goddess
  of the hearth.
• Household spirits lares spirits of the family
  ancestors and penates spirits of the larder
  (kept the family fed)
• Births, marriages, and deaths were all celebrated
  with special rituals.

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Prayer and Sacrifice

• Romans believed they had a personal contract
  between the gods and mortals.
• The role of mortals was to worship the gods.
• Prayers accompanied small offerings of food to
  the dieties.
• Official, public rituals often involved the
  sacrifice of animals.
• Romans did not practice human sacrifice.

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JUPITER - King of the Gods
Jupiter was king of the Gods. His weapon was the
Thunderbolt (thunder and lightning). All other
gods were terrified of him, although he was a
little scared of his wife Juno! Jupiter, Neptune
and Pluto were the three sons of Saturn. They
divided up the world between themselves. Jupiter
took the air, Neptune had the sea and Pluto ruled
under the earth, the home of the Dead
http//www.gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/jupiter.htm
Jupiter means Father Jove (Father in Latin is
"pater"). There was a big temple in Rome
dedicated to Jupiter - Optimus Maximus (which
means Jupiter Best and Greatest). The Romans
thought that Jupiter guarded their city and
looked after them.
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CERES
Vatican Museums, Vatican City http//www.roman-emp
ire.net/religion/ceres.html
Ceres was the ancient Latin goddess of
vegetation, whose worship merged completely with
that of the Greek goddess Demeter
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JUNO
Vatican Museums, Vatican City http//www.roman-emp
ire.net/religion/juno.html
Juno was the majestic queen of the heaven and
wife of Jupiter
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MERCURY

• Mercury (Mercurius) protected merchants and
  travelers. He was portrayed as the Greek Hermes,
  the messenger of the gods.

Vatican Museums, Vatican City http//www.roman-emp
ire.net/religion/mercury.html
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MITHRAS
Mithra, known as Mithras to the Romans, was
originally a Persian god of the sun. At the
beginning of time Mithras had sacrificed the
mythical great bull from the body of which flowed
the blood which gave life to earth.With the
Romans Mithras became the god of kings, justice
and contracts. He was a deity particularly
favored by soldiers, who were bound in loyalty to
their rulers and is often described as the
soldier god.
Vatican Museums, Vatican City http//www.roman-em
pire.net/religion/mithras.html
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VENUS
Venus, a very ancient Latin deity who protected
vegetation and gardens, was merged in the Roman
faith with the Greek goddess Aphrodite, becoming
the goddess of love and beauty.
Capitoline Museums, Rome http//www.roman-empire.n
et/religion/venus.html
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DIANA
Diana, the virgin huntress, Goddess of light, a
moon Goddess and also Goddess to unity of peoples
Capitoline Museums, Rome http//www.roman-empire.n
et/religion/diana.html
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VESTA
Vesta was the Roman version of the Greek goddess
Hestia, and guarded the hearth and home. She
therefore never moved from Mount Olympus. Also
she was bestowed with perpetual virginity, which
is why her priestesses were to be virgins, too, -
the famous Vestal Virgins.
http//www.roman-empire.net/religion/vesta.html
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BACCHUS
Bacchus is the Roman version of the Greek god
Dionysos. He generally represented as an
ever-young god of wine and jolity, but at times
also of deep thoughtfulness.
Vatican Museums, Vatican City http//www.roman-emp
ire.net/religion/bacchus.html
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References
Edkins, Joe. Feb. 1999. Jupiter or Jove.
Website. 4 Dec. 2001. .uk/jo/roman/jupiter.htm Illustrated History
of the Roman Empire. Website. 4 December 2001
Mautz, Nancy. 12
November 2001. Website The Development of
Western CivilizationWorld
History- Rome.4 Dec. 2001. ville.net/rome.html

Powerpoint created by Martha Boerschlein Tracy on
Dec. 4, 2001 for Values for Success.