44 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
44 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
<!-- factbase:70f24f -->
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# Roman Religion
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# Roman Religion
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## Overview
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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).
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## Key Facts
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- Period: ~8th century BCE – ~4th century CE (suppressed under Christianity) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Type: Polytheistic, with later imperial cult <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Key institutions: Pontifex Maximus, Vestal Virgins, College of Augurs <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Influenced by: Etruscan religion, Greek religion <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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## Major Deities
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- Jupiter: King of the gods (Greek Zeus) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Juno: Queen of the gods (Greek Hera) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Mars: God of war (Greek Ares), father of Romulus <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Minerva: Goddess of wisdom (Greek Athena) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Venus: Goddess of love (Greek Aphrodite), ancestor of the Julian family <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Neptune, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, Vulcan, Ceres @t[~1998] [^1] <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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## Key Practices
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- Augury: Reading divine will through bird flight, entrails, and omens <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Vestal Virgins: Six priestesses maintaining the sacred flame of Vesta <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Imperial cult: Deification of emperors beginning with Julius Caesar (42 BCE) @t[=42 BCE] <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- *Religio*: Proper observance of ritual obligations to maintain divine favor @t[~2003] [^2] <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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## Mystery Cults
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- Cult of Isis (from Egypt) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Mithraism (from Persia, popular with soldiers) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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- Cult of Cybele (from Anatolia) <!-- reviewed:2026-02-23 -->
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---
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[^1]: Beard, M. et al. *Religions of Rome* (Cambridge, 1998)
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[^2]: Scheid, J. *An Introduction to Roman Religion* (Indiana, 2003)---
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- [x] `@q[stale]` Line 21: "Neptune, Mercury, Diana, Apollo, Vulcan, Ceres [^1]" - Beard source from 1998 may be outdated, is this still accurate?
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> Scholarship remains current. Beard et al. (1998) findings are still accepted by modern historians.
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- [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?
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> Scholarship remains current. Scheid (2003) findings are still accepted by modern historians. |