Phases in the Religion of Ancient RomePhases in the Religion of Ancient Rome offers a thoughtful exploration of the evolution of Roman religious ideas, drawing on the lectures delivered as part of the Sather Classical Lectures series. This work does not claim to provide groundbreaking discoveries but seeks to weave together the various strands of belief and practice that shaped Roman religion across different periods. Framed by the broader human quest for understanding the divine, the book situates Roman religion as a mosaic of overlapping and evolving concepts, ranging from animism and magic to anthropomorphism. By disentangling these threads, it aims to reveal how they were interwoven into the complex fabric of Roman spirituality. Acknowledging the work of pioneering scholars in anthropology and comparative religion, the author examines Roman beliefs not as a linear progression but as a series of "ups and downs," reflecting broader human patterns of religious development. The lectures trace how new ideas emerged, older traditions receded or transformed, and diverse practices coexisted within the same cultural moment. By adopting a historical and psychological lens, this volume illuminates the composite nature of Roman religious experience, offering insights into the dynamic interplay of faith, culture, and human perception. Readers interested in the intellectual and spiritual currents of ancient Rome will find this book a compelling addition to the study of religious history. This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1932. |
Contents
| 1 | |
THE SPIRITS Belief | 35 |
THE SPIRITS WORSHIP | 72 |
THE GODS ANTHROPOMORPHISM | 109 |
Historic Rome Animism gives place to polytheism | 124 |
THE GODS INSTITUTIONAL RELIGION | 144 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agri Cult agricultural ancient animistic anthropomorphic Apuleius astrology Attis augur Aulus Gellius became belief Cato century B.C. ceremony chapter character Cicero Compitalia conception connexion Cumont dead death deity deorum deus divine doctrine doubt early element Epicurean Epicurus Etruscan evil Fasti fear feriae festival Festus Flamen Dialis formula Frazer function goddess gods Greek Horace household Ianus ibid idea influence inscription Iovis Isis Iuno Iuppiter Lares later Latin legend Lindsay Livy Lucretius Lupercalia lustratio Macrobius magic Magna Mater Mars Maximus mind Mithraism Mithras monotheistic moral nature numen numina offering oriental cults Ovid Penates person philosophy piaculum Plutarch poets pontifices popular practice prayer priests primitive quae quod religious rites ritual Robigalia Roman religion Roman world Rome sacred sacrificium says seen sense Servius Servius ad Aen shrine soul spirit State-cult Stoic Stoicism stone syncretism taboo temple thought tion Varro Vesta Virgil Warde Fowler Wissowa worship