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# Roman Religion

# Roman Religion

## Overview
Roman religion was a polytheistic system that evolved from early Italic and Etruscan traditions, heavily influenced by Greek religion, and centered on state ritual, augury, and the maintenance of *pax deorum* (peace with the gods).

## Key Facts
- Period: ~8th century BCE – ~4th century CE (suppressed under Christianity)
- Type: Polytheistic, with later imperial cult
- Key institutions: Pontifex Maximus, Vestal Virgins, College of Augurs
- Influenced by: Etruscan religion, Greek religion

## Major Deities
- Jupiter: King of the gods (Greek Zeus)
- Juno: Queen of the gods (Greek Hera)
- Mars: God of war (Greek Ares), father of Romulus
- Minerva: Goddess of wisdom (Greek Athena)
- Venus: Goddess of love (Greek Aphrodite), ancestor of the Julian family
- Neptune, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, Vulcan, Ceres [^1]

## Key Practices
- Augury: Reading divine will through bird flight, entrails, and omens
- Vestal Virgins: Six priestesses maintaining the sacred flame of Vesta
- Imperial cult: Deification of emperors beginning with Julius Caesar (42 BCE) @t[=42 BCE]
- *Religio*: Proper observance of ritual obligations to maintain divine favor [^2]

## Mystery Cults
- Cult of Isis (from Egypt)
- Mithraism (from Persia, popular with soldiers)
- Cult of Cybele (from Anatolia)

---
[^1]: Beard, M. et al. *Religions of Rome* (Cambridge, 1998)
[^2]: Scheid, J. *An Introduction to Roman Religion* (Indiana, 2003)
---

## Review Queue

<!-- factbase:review -->
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 10: "Period: ~8th century BCE – ~4th century CE (suppressed under Christianity)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 11: "Type: Polytheistic, with later imperial cult" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 12: "Key institutions: Pontifex Maximus, Vestal Virgins, College of Augurs" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 13: "Influenced by: Etruscan religion, Greek religion" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 16: "Jupiter: King of the gods (Greek Zeus)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 17: "Juno: Queen of the gods (Greek Hera)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 18: "Mars: God of war (Greek Ares), father of Romulus" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 19: "Minerva: Goddess of wisdom (Greek Athena)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 20: "Venus: Goddess of love (Greek Aphrodite), ancestor of the Julian family" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 21: "Neptune, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, Vulcan, Ceres [^1]" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 24: "Augury: Reading divine will through bird flight, entrails, and omens" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 25: "Vestal Virgins: Six priestesses maintaining the sacred flame of Vesta" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 26: "Imperial cult: Deification of emperors beginning with Julius Caesar (42 BCE)" - when was this true?
> 42 BCE event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2]. BCE temporal tags not yet supported by factbase.
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 27: "*Religio*: Proper observance of ritual obligations to maintain divine favor [^2]" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 30: "Cult of Isis (from Egypt)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 31: "Mithraism (from Persia, popular with soldiers)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[temporal]` Line 32: "Cult of Cybele (from Anatolia)" - when was this true?
> Historical event. Attested by Beard (1998) [^1]; Scheid (2003) [^2].
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 10: "Period: ~8th century BCE – ~4th century CE (suppressed under Christianity)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 11: "Type: Polytheistic, with later imperial cult" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 12: "Key institutions: Pontifex Maximus, Vestal Virgins, College of Augurs" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 13: "Influenced by: Etruscan religion, Greek religion" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 16: "Jupiter: King of the gods (Greek Zeus)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 17: "Juno: Queen of the gods (Greek Hera)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 18: "Mars: God of war (Greek Ares), father of Romulus" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 19: "Minerva: Goddess of wisdom (Greek Athena)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 20: "Venus: Goddess of love (Greek Aphrodite), ancestor of the Julian family" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 24: "Augury: Reading divine will through bird flight, entrails, and omens" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 25: "Vestal Virgins: Six priestesses maintaining the sacred flame of Vesta" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 26: "Imperial cult: Deification of emperors beginning with Julius Caesar (42 BCE)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 30: "Cult of Isis (from Egypt)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 31: "Mithraism (from Persia, popular with soldiers)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[missing]` Line 32: "Cult of Cybele (from Anatolia)" - what is the source?
> Beard et al. (1998) [^1], Scheid (2003) [^2]
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 21: "Neptune, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, Vulcan, Ceres [^1]" - Beard source from 1998 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Beard et al. (1998) findings are still accepted by modern historians.
- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 27: "*Religio*: Proper observance of ritual obligations to maintain divine favor [^2]" - Scheid source from 2003 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
> Scholarship remains current. Scheid (2003) findings are still accepted by modern historians.