Eric Orlin
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199731558
- eISBN:
- 9780199866342
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199731558.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, World History: BCE to 500CE
This study of the Roman reaction to foreign cults explores how religion contributed to the Romans’ need to reshape their community and their sense of what it meant to be Roman in the wake of Roman ...
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This study of the Roman reaction to foreign cults explores how religion contributed to the Romans’ need to reshape their community and their sense of what it meant to be Roman in the wake of Roman expansion from a single city to the dominant power in the Mediterranean basin. Roman religion is a particularly useful field within which to study Roman self-definition, for the Romans considered themselves to be the most religious of all peoples and ascribed their imperial success to their religiosity. The Romans were remarkably open to outside influences, installing foreign religious elements as part of their own religious system. However, the inclusion of so many foreign elements posed difficulties for maintaining a clear notion of what it meant to be Roman, and those difficulties became acute at the very moment when a territorial definition of Romanness was becoming obsolete. Using models drawn from anthropology, this book demonstrates that Roman religious activity beginning in the middle Republic (early third century b.c.e.) contributed to redrawing the boundaries of Romanness, allowing the Romans to maintain a clear sense of identity that could include the peoples they had conquered, especially the communities of Roman Italy. The book concludes with a brief look at the reforms of the first emperor Augustus, whose actions laid the foundation for further developments under the Empire.Less
This study of the Roman reaction to foreign cults explores how religion contributed to the Romans’ need to reshape their community and their sense of what it meant to be Roman in the wake of Roman expansion from a single city to the dominant power in the Mediterranean basin. Roman religion is a particularly useful field within which to study Roman self-definition, for the Romans considered themselves to be the most religious of all peoples and ascribed their imperial success to their religiosity. The Romans were remarkably open to outside influences, installing foreign religious elements as part of their own religious system. However, the inclusion of so many foreign elements posed difficulties for maintaining a clear notion of what it meant to be Roman, and those difficulties became acute at the very moment when a territorial definition of Romanness was becoming obsolete. Using models drawn from anthropology, this book demonstrates that Roman religious activity beginning in the middle Republic (early third century b.c.e.) contributed to redrawing the boundaries of Romanness, allowing the Romans to maintain a clear sense of identity that could include the peoples they had conquered, especially the communities of Roman Italy. The book concludes with a brief look at the reforms of the first emperor Augustus, whose actions laid the foundation for further developments under the Empire.
G. E. M. De Ste. Croix
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199278121
- eISBN:
- 9780191707872
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199278121.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter reprints Ste. Croix's 1963 Past and Present investigation of why Christians were persecuted in the first three centuries, together with a brief response in 1964 to criticisms by A.N. ...
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This chapter reprints Ste. Croix's 1963 Past and Present investigation of why Christians were persecuted in the first three centuries, together with a brief response in 1964 to criticisms by A.N. Sherwin-White. Ste. Croix's main objective was to counter Sherwin-White's theory that Christians fell foul of Roman provincial administration because of the obstinacy they displayed in adherence to their beliefs. Ste. Croix insisted that the main charge against Christians under Roman law was simply the name of Christian, which was sufficient to generate persecution unless the accused could clear themselves by a variety of relatively simple procedures. Careful scrutiny of the evidence for persecution, especially during the 2nd century, clarifies the mechanics of Roman administration and the application of imperial law.Less
This chapter reprints Ste. Croix's 1963 Past and Present investigation of why Christians were persecuted in the first three centuries, together with a brief response in 1964 to criticisms by A.N. Sherwin-White. Ste. Croix's main objective was to counter Sherwin-White's theory that Christians fell foul of Roman provincial administration because of the obstinacy they displayed in adherence to their beliefs. Ste. Croix insisted that the main charge against Christians under Roman law was simply the name of Christian, which was sufficient to generate persecution unless the accused could clear themselves by a variety of relatively simple procedures. Careful scrutiny of the evidence for persecution, especially during the 2nd century, clarifies the mechanics of Roman administration and the application of imperial law.
James Rives
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199262120
- eISBN:
- 9780191718533
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199262120.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This chapter focuses on the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, looking at it from the point of view of Flavian religious policies. Vespasian and Titus were fully aware of the ramifications of ...
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This chapter focuses on the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, looking at it from the point of view of Flavian religious policies. Vespasian and Titus were fully aware of the ramifications of the destruction. In Roman religious terms, their actions would result in the elimination of the major cult centre of the Jews. The removal of the chief cult objects (the menorah, the table, and the sacred vessels) to Rome symbolized the end of the cult in Jerusalem, and emphasized the notion — found in Josephus — that the Jewish God had abandoned his people and gone over to the Roman side. In some senses this amounted to a sort of evocatio of a foreign deity, as so often occurred when Roman armies captured enemy cities. Vespasian was keen to close down cult centres that he considered potential focal points for further Jewish resistance against Rome.Less
This chapter focuses on the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, looking at it from the point of view of Flavian religious policies. Vespasian and Titus were fully aware of the ramifications of the destruction. In Roman religious terms, their actions would result in the elimination of the major cult centre of the Jews. The removal of the chief cult objects (the menorah, the table, and the sacred vessels) to Rome symbolized the end of the cult in Jerusalem, and emphasized the notion — found in Josephus — that the Jewish God had abandoned his people and gone over to the Roman side. In some senses this amounted to a sort of evocatio of a foreign deity, as so often occurred when Roman armies captured enemy cities. Vespasian was keen to close down cult centres that he considered potential focal points for further Jewish resistance against Rome.
Clifford Ando
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748615650
- eISBN:
- 9780748650989
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748615650.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
This book introduces students to the complex and foreign world of Roman religion, and to major trends in its study. Praised in the Enlightenment for its supposed tolerance, Roman religion has been ...
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This book introduces students to the complex and foreign world of Roman religion, and to major trends in its study. Praised in the Enlightenment for its supposed tolerance, Roman religion has been vilified for persecuting the early Christians. It professed a profound conservatism and yet received myths from Greece and Asia and gods from every corner of the Empire. The book presents fourteen papers on central topics in the study of Roman religion and its connections with Roman literature, history and culture. Subjects treated include the nature and development of religious authority and religious institutions; the control of space and time; and religion's role in fashioning Roman identity. Also under discussion is the narration and analysis of Rome's transition from Republic to Empire. In introducing the volume and its individual parts, the book considers issues of method and substance arising from the study of Roman religion, and places each chapter in context. Its selection of papers illustrates a range of approaches from Europe, Britain and America during a century of scholarship. Four papers are published in English for the first time. The book includes a chronology, biographical dictionary, glossary and guide to further reading; all passages of ancient languages are translated.Less
This book introduces students to the complex and foreign world of Roman religion, and to major trends in its study. Praised in the Enlightenment for its supposed tolerance, Roman religion has been vilified for persecuting the early Christians. It professed a profound conservatism and yet received myths from Greece and Asia and gods from every corner of the Empire. The book presents fourteen papers on central topics in the study of Roman religion and its connections with Roman literature, history and culture. Subjects treated include the nature and development of religious authority and religious institutions; the control of space and time; and religion's role in fashioning Roman identity. Also under discussion is the narration and analysis of Rome's transition from Republic to Empire. In introducing the volume and its individual parts, the book considers issues of method and substance arising from the study of Roman religion, and places each chapter in context. Its selection of papers illustrates a range of approaches from Europe, Britain and America during a century of scholarship. Four papers are published in English for the first time. The book includes a chronology, biographical dictionary, glossary and guide to further reading; all passages of ancient languages are translated.
John Davies and John Wilkes (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- January 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780197265062
- eISBN:
- 9780191754173
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197265062.001.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
This volume publishes all but three of the plenary lectures that were delivered during the XIIIth International Congress of Greek and Roman Epigraphy, held at Oxford in September 2007. Its format ...
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This volume publishes all but three of the plenary lectures that were delivered during the XIIIth International Congress of Greek and Roman Epigraphy, held at Oxford in September 2007. Its format differs from traditional Congress Proceedings, but this is not the only innovation. The aim of the Oxford Congress, reflected in the title of the volume, was to present epigraphy as a specialism to a wider readership, both academic and other, and in that way to embed it more firmly within the wider discourse of ancient world studies in general. So to this end, a number of scholars were invited to give plenary lectures of two kinds. Some reported on the various ways in which epigraphic information is helping to reshape and extend our knowledge of the religious life, the languages, the populations, the governmental systems and the economies of the Graeco-Roman world. Others reported on the ways in which new techniques and technologies are helping to make epigraphically based information more accessible, whether in terms of public display or in terms of the ever-widening possibilities of information technology. In addition, the more wide-ranging addresses that opened and closed the Congress showed how the act of looking at the Graeco-Roman world through the window provided by the epigraphic record offers a distinctive gaze of unique and exceptional value. The Congress thereby gave the impression of a discipline that knew what it wanted to do, have the tools with which to move forward and in general was in very good shape. The volume is intended to communicate that zest and impetus to as wide a readership as possible. To that end, all contributions that were originally delivered in other languages have been translated into English, and translations have also been inserted for all but the briefest citations of Greek and Latin.Less
This volume publishes all but three of the plenary lectures that were delivered during the XIIIth International Congress of Greek and Roman Epigraphy, held at Oxford in September 2007. Its format differs from traditional Congress Proceedings, but this is not the only innovation. The aim of the Oxford Congress, reflected in the title of the volume, was to present epigraphy as a specialism to a wider readership, both academic and other, and in that way to embed it more firmly within the wider discourse of ancient world studies in general. So to this end, a number of scholars were invited to give plenary lectures of two kinds. Some reported on the various ways in which epigraphic information is helping to reshape and extend our knowledge of the religious life, the languages, the populations, the governmental systems and the economies of the Graeco-Roman world. Others reported on the ways in which new techniques and technologies are helping to make epigraphically based information more accessible, whether in terms of public display or in terms of the ever-widening possibilities of information technology. In addition, the more wide-ranging addresses that opened and closed the Congress showed how the act of looking at the Graeco-Roman world through the window provided by the epigraphic record offers a distinctive gaze of unique and exceptional value. The Congress thereby gave the impression of a discipline that knew what it wanted to do, have the tools with which to move forward and in general was in very good shape. The volume is intended to communicate that zest and impetus to as wide a readership as possible. To that end, all contributions that were originally delivered in other languages have been translated into English, and translations have also been inserted for all but the briefest citations of Greek and Latin.
John Scheid
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199572069
- eISBN:
- 9780191738739
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199572069.003.0008
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, European History: BCE to 500CE
A graffito discovered in the temple of Hercules Curinus at Sulmo allows us to explore the ritual logic of the Roman vow, undoubtedly one of the most characteristic rites in Roman religion, with its ...
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A graffito discovered in the temple of Hercules Curinus at Sulmo allows us to explore the ritual logic of the Roman vow, undoubtedly one of the most characteristic rites in Roman religion, with its specific vocabulary and timing, unlike, for example, the Christian vow. In most cases, vows — whether they are modest such as the one from the temple at Sulmo, or grand such as those we find on offerings in metal or marble — recall one aspect or phase of the rite. The text from Sulmo is one of the rare votive texts that gives us the two principal phases of the vow, announcement and fulfilment.Less
A graffito discovered in the temple of Hercules Curinus at Sulmo allows us to explore the ritual logic of the Roman vow, undoubtedly one of the most characteristic rites in Roman religion, with its specific vocabulary and timing, unlike, for example, the Christian vow. In most cases, vows — whether they are modest such as the one from the temple at Sulmo, or grand such as those we find on offerings in metal or marble — recall one aspect or phase of the rite. The text from Sulmo is one of the rare votive texts that gives us the two principal phases of the vow, announcement and fulfilment.
Jeffrey A. Trumbower
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195140996
- eISBN:
- 9780199834747
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195140990.003.0002
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The ...
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Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The archaeology of burial sites, epitaphs, other inscriptions, and textual sources are adduced as evidence for this purpose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of salvation after death in the Greek religious movement called Orphism, as well as in the Jewish texts 2 Maccabees and 4 Ezra.Less
Chapter one sets up the cultural context for the study of early Christian texts by examining traditions in which the living helped the dead in Greek religion, Roman religion, and ancient Judaism. The archaeology of burial sites, epitaphs, other inscriptions, and textual sources are adduced as evidence for this purpose. The chapter concludes with a discussion of salvation after death in the Greek religious movement called Orphism, as well as in the Jewish texts 2 Maccabees and 4 Ezra.
J. M. Wallace‐Hadrill
- Published in print:
- 1983
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269069
- eISBN:
- 9780191600777
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269064.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Looks at the Gallo–Roman religious experience as a heritage for the Frankish (Germanic) Church. In the 5th century, the Gallo–Roman churches (rather than a Church) were separate Christian communities ...
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Looks at the Gallo–Roman religious experience as a heritage for the Frankish (Germanic) Church. In the 5th century, the Gallo–Roman churches (rather than a Church) were separate Christian communities in cities, each under a bishop, and closely related to the structure of the late‐imperial administration; some had ancient origins from the days of persecution. This century was also an age of barbarian invasion and settlement in Gaul, in which the bishops, by and large, stood firm as protectors in the Roman tradition, although not as secular administrators (as their Merovingian successors would become). The various aspects of the period discussed in the chapter include, the radical bishops (who were mostly ascetics), saints, the cults of asceticism (monks) and relics, miracles as proof of sanctity, Rogation days (devised as a city's confession of guilt, probably in the 460s a.d.), and roles of the bishops in administration (in the diocesan sense) and as controllers of an impressive literary tradition. The last part of the chapter examines the role of Caesarius (bishop and metropolitan of Arles from 503 to 543) in the identification of a secular with a Christian community.Less
Looks at the Gallo–Roman religious experience as a heritage for the Frankish (Germanic) Church. In the 5th century, the Gallo–Roman churches (rather than a Church) were separate Christian communities in cities, each under a bishop, and closely related to the structure of the late‐imperial administration; some had ancient origins from the days of persecution. This century was also an age of barbarian invasion and settlement in Gaul, in which the bishops, by and large, stood firm as protectors in the Roman tradition, although not as secular administrators (as their Merovingian successors would become). The various aspects of the period discussed in the chapter include, the radical bishops (who were mostly ascetics), saints, the cults of asceticism (monks) and relics, miracles as proof of sanctity, Rogation days (devised as a city's confession of guilt, probably in the 460s a.d.), and roles of the bishops in administration (in the diocesan sense) and as controllers of an impressive literary tradition. The last part of the chapter examines the role of Caesarius (bishop and metropolitan of Arles from 503 to 543) in the identification of a secular with a Christian community.
Gary Forsythe
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520226517
- eISBN:
- 9780520940291
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520226517.003.0006
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Archaeology: Classical
This chapter discusses early Roman religion. Rome's religious history can serve as a useful model in suggesting how Rome's cultural development occurred within a larger Italian context. Some ...
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This chapter discusses early Roman religion. Rome's religious history can serve as a useful model in suggesting how Rome's cultural development occurred within a larger Italian context. Some important Roman divinities are also presented. Rome's official religious calendar contains festivals of many other divinities, and a survey of the more important ones can further illustrate early Roman beliefs and concerns. The language of sacrifice and prayer provides interesting clues to the way the early Romans viewed the nature of the gods. It is suggested that the early Romans thought sacrifice was essential in order to provide the deities with or to compensate them for the energy necessary to accomplish a petitioner's request. Additional evidence demonstrates that in public rites Roman priests were accustomed to invoke specific attributes of deities.Less
This chapter discusses early Roman religion. Rome's religious history can serve as a useful model in suggesting how Rome's cultural development occurred within a larger Italian context. Some important Roman divinities are also presented. Rome's official religious calendar contains festivals of many other divinities, and a survey of the more important ones can further illustrate early Roman beliefs and concerns. The language of sacrifice and prayer provides interesting clues to the way the early Romans viewed the nature of the gods. It is suggested that the early Romans thought sacrifice was essential in order to provide the deities with or to compensate them for the energy necessary to accomplish a petitioner's request. Additional evidence demonstrates that in public rites Roman priests were accustomed to invoke specific attributes of deities.
Anthony Corbeill
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- October 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780691163222
- eISBN:
- 9781400852468
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691163222.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
From the moment a child in ancient Rome began to speak Latin, the surrounding world became populated with objects possessing grammatical gender—masculine eyes (oculi), feminine trees (arbores), ...
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From the moment a child in ancient Rome began to speak Latin, the surrounding world became populated with objects possessing grammatical gender—masculine eyes (oculi), feminine trees (arbores), neuter bodies (corpora). This book surveys the many ways in which grammatical gender enabled Latin speakers to organize aspects of their society into sexual categories, and how this identification of grammatical gender with biological sex affected Roman perceptions of Latin poetry, divine power, and human hermaphrodites. Beginning with the ancient grammarians, the book examines how these scholars used the gender of nouns to identify the sex of the object being signified, regardless of whether that object was animate or inanimate. This informed the Roman poets who, for a time, changed at whim the grammatical gender for words as seemingly lifeless as “dust” (pulvis) or “tree bark” (cortex). The book then applies the idea of fluid grammatical gender to the basic tenets of Roman religion and state politics. It looks at how the ancients tended to construct Rome's earliest divinities as related male and female pairs, a tendency that waned in later periods. An analogous change characterized the dual-sexed hermaphrodite, whose sacred and political significance declined as the republican government became an autocracy. The book shows that the fluid boundaries of sex and gender became increasingly fixed into opposing and exclusive categories.Less
From the moment a child in ancient Rome began to speak Latin, the surrounding world became populated with objects possessing grammatical gender—masculine eyes (oculi), feminine trees (arbores), neuter bodies (corpora). This book surveys the many ways in which grammatical gender enabled Latin speakers to organize aspects of their society into sexual categories, and how this identification of grammatical gender with biological sex affected Roman perceptions of Latin poetry, divine power, and human hermaphrodites. Beginning with the ancient grammarians, the book examines how these scholars used the gender of nouns to identify the sex of the object being signified, regardless of whether that object was animate or inanimate. This informed the Roman poets who, for a time, changed at whim the grammatical gender for words as seemingly lifeless as “dust” (pulvis) or “tree bark” (cortex). The book then applies the idea of fluid grammatical gender to the basic tenets of Roman religion and state politics. It looks at how the ancients tended to construct Rome's earliest divinities as related male and female pairs, a tendency that waned in later periods. An analogous change characterized the dual-sexed hermaphrodite, whose sacred and political significance declined as the republican government became an autocracy. The book shows that the fluid boundaries of sex and gender became increasingly fixed into opposing and exclusive categories.
J. M. Wallace-Hadrill
- Published in print:
- 1983
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198269069
- eISBN:
- 9780191600777
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198269064.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This book, the first of its kind in English, surveys the development of the Frankish Church under the Merovingian and Carolingian kings (c.500–900 a.d.), and the special difficulties that it ...
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This book, the first of its kind in English, surveys the development of the Frankish Church under the Merovingian and Carolingian kings (c.500–900 a.d.), and the special difficulties that it encountered. The first three chapters look at the Gallo–Roman religious experience beneath the Frankish Church, the journey from Germanic paganism to Christianity, and the contribution of Gregory's history of the Gallo–Frankish Church to the development of the Frankish Church. Chs 4 to 9 examine developments in the Church in the Merovingian period (the first dynasty of Frankish kings, 481–751). Chs10 to 16 examine developments in the Carolingian period (the dynasty of Frankish kings that started with Pippin III and included his sons Carloman and Charlemagne, 751–887). Ch. 16 specifically addresses unsolved problems in the Church, viz. the Jews, the marriage bond and missionary activities.Less
This book, the first of its kind in English, surveys the development of the Frankish Church under the Merovingian and Carolingian kings (c.500–900 a.d.), and the special difficulties that it encountered. The first three chapters look at the Gallo–Roman religious experience beneath the Frankish Church, the journey from Germanic paganism to Christianity, and the contribution of Gregory's history of the Gallo–Frankish Church to the development of the Frankish Church. Chs 4 to 9 examine developments in the Church in the Merovingian period (the first dynasty of Frankish kings, 481–751). Chs10 to 16 examine developments in the Carolingian period (the dynasty of Frankish kings that started with Pippin III and included his sons Carloman and Charlemagne, 751–887). Ch. 16 specifically addresses unsolved problems in the Church, viz. the Jews, the marriage bond and missionary activities.
Clifford Ando
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520250833
- eISBN:
- 9780520933651
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520250833.003.0001
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Ancient Religions
The book concentrates on one specific aspect of the field of inquiry, namely the epistemological basis of Roman religion. This basis by its very nature conditions the manner in which Roman religion ...
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The book concentrates on one specific aspect of the field of inquiry, namely the epistemological basis of Roman religion. This basis by its very nature conditions the manner in which Roman religion can be studied. The book begins by reflecting on the translation of religio. “Religion” is but one possible rendering for religio, and in Valerius Maximus' lists, it is suggested that it might here be rendered more accurately by “the sum total of current cult practice.” It is not that “religion” does not capture the force of religio in one of its uses, but rather, this usage is not primary and its field proves harder to map onto “religion” than one might expect.Less
The book concentrates on one specific aspect of the field of inquiry, namely the epistemological basis of Roman religion. This basis by its very nature conditions the manner in which Roman religion can be studied. The book begins by reflecting on the translation of religio. “Religion” is but one possible rendering for religio, and in Valerius Maximus' lists, it is suggested that it might here be rendered more accurately by “the sum total of current cult practice.” It is not that “religion” does not capture the force of religio in one of its uses, but rather, this usage is not primary and its field proves harder to map onto “religion” than one might expect.
Hugh Bowden
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199600755
- eISBN:
- 9780191738791
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199600755.003.0014
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval
This chapter examines the visit of Battakes, priest of the Mother of the Gods at Pessinous, to Rome in 102 bc. It argues that the cult of Magna Mater in Rome had originally been imported from ...
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This chapter examines the visit of Battakes, priest of the Mother of the Gods at Pessinous, to Rome in 102 bc. It argues that the cult of Magna Mater in Rome had originally been imported from Pergamon. Whatever the precise purpose of his embassy, Battakes will have used the shared cult of the Mother as a reason for closer ties to be established between Rome and Pessinous. The Roman tradition that the cult of Magna Mater was introduced from Pessinous developed in the wake of Battakes' visit. The whole episode suggests that Roman religion in the second century bc was not, as scholars have generally argued, becoming increasingly conservative, but remained open to eastern influence.Less
This chapter examines the visit of Battakes, priest of the Mother of the Gods at Pessinous, to Rome in 102 bc. It argues that the cult of Magna Mater in Rome had originally been imported from Pergamon. Whatever the precise purpose of his embassy, Battakes will have used the shared cult of the Mother as a reason for closer ties to be established between Rome and Pessinous. The Roman tradition that the cult of Magna Mater was introduced from Pessinous developed in the wake of Battakes' visit. The whole episode suggests that Roman religion in the second century bc was not, as scholars have generally argued, becoming increasingly conservative, but remained open to eastern influence.
Harriet I. Flower
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691175003
- eISBN:
- 9781400888016
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691175003.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter is organized into nine interrelated sections. Since the evidence about the lares is so fragmented and disparate, each ancient text or image is examined in its own right. It clears the ...
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This chapter is organized into nine interrelated sections. Since the evidence about the lares is so fragmented and disparate, each ancient text or image is examined in its own right. It clears the ground for the discussion by first addressing the debate in the antiquarian sources about the basic nature of lares. It argues against the interpretation of lares as spirits of the deceased and in favor of seeing them as benevolent deities of place and of travel. Moving on from the theoretical classification of these distinctly academic texts, it looks at both literary and epigraphic evidence from the archaic Arval hymn onward. The remainder of the chapter considers which Latin authors refer to twin lares as opposed to a single lar. It also draws together the evidence from painted iconography, written text, and ritual custom to suggest an overall interpretation of the lares and snakes as “gods of place,” who receive gifts and honor from a genius on the Bay of Naples.Less
This chapter is organized into nine interrelated sections. Since the evidence about the lares is so fragmented and disparate, each ancient text or image is examined in its own right. It clears the ground for the discussion by first addressing the debate in the antiquarian sources about the basic nature of lares. It argues against the interpretation of lares as spirits of the deceased and in favor of seeing them as benevolent deities of place and of travel. Moving on from the theoretical classification of these distinctly academic texts, it looks at both literary and epigraphic evidence from the archaic Arval hymn onward. The remainder of the chapter considers which Latin authors refer to twin lares as opposed to a single lar. It also draws together the evidence from painted iconography, written text, and ritual custom to suggest an overall interpretation of the lares and snakes as “gods of place,” who receive gifts and honor from a genius on the Bay of Naples.
Guy Maclean Rogers
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300178630
- eISBN:
- 9780300182705
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300178630.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter explains the mysteries of Artemis, whicxh include the formal, logical relationship between ancient votive religion and mystery cults, as well as some of the less widely appreciated ...
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This chapter explains the mysteries of Artemis, whicxh include the formal, logical relationship between ancient votive religion and mystery cults, as well as some of the less widely appreciated implications of the so-called votive formula. The relationship between the fields of reference narrated and the celebrations of Artemis's mysteries within the city in turn is relevant to many questions and controversies, not only about Graeco-Roman religion, history, and historiography, but also about anthropological theory, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience. Artemis of Ephesos was one of the most popular deities of the Graeco-Roman world. The celebrations of the mysteries of Artemis of Ephesos were not always organized to address eschatological concerns of initiates. There also were in fact traits of identity in the celebration of the mysteries of Artemis, but these traits were maintained through rearrangement, reorganization, and revitalization, by Roman emperors and governors, the polis of Ephesos, and individual benefactors.Less
This chapter explains the mysteries of Artemis, whicxh include the formal, logical relationship between ancient votive religion and mystery cults, as well as some of the less widely appreciated implications of the so-called votive formula. The relationship between the fields of reference narrated and the celebrations of Artemis's mysteries within the city in turn is relevant to many questions and controversies, not only about Graeco-Roman religion, history, and historiography, but also about anthropological theory, evolutionary biology, and neuroscience. Artemis of Ephesos was one of the most popular deities of the Graeco-Roman world. The celebrations of the mysteries of Artemis of Ephesos were not always organized to address eschatological concerns of initiates. There also were in fact traits of identity in the celebration of the mysteries of Artemis, but these traits were maintained through rearrangement, reorganization, and revitalization, by Roman emperors and governors, the polis of Ephesos, and individual benefactors.
Craige B. Champion
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- May 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780691174853
- eISBN:
- 9781400885152
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Princeton University Press
- DOI:
- 10.23943/princeton/9780691174853.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
This chapter discusses the origins of elite-instrumentalist interpretations of Roman religion by Greek and Roman writers, and how it persists in recent scholarship. It uses a particular “time map,” ...
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This chapter discusses the origins of elite-instrumentalist interpretations of Roman religion by Greek and Roman writers, and how it persists in recent scholarship. It uses a particular “time map,” spanning the period from approximately the second quarter of the third century—leading to Rome's first titanic conflict with Carthage—to the aftermath of the Gracchan revolution. The chapter first provides an overview of the so-called “polis religion,” the focus of the modern study of Roman religion, describing it as a form of elite-instrumentalism. It then considers the elite-instrumentalist interpretation/model, its history, and its paradoxical longevity in order to understand how the Roman ruling elite used religion in the Middle Republic. It also examines some of the main features of elite religion in the Middle Roman Republic. Finally, it introduces definitions, parameters, and theoretical/methodological underpinnings for the chapters that follow.Less
This chapter discusses the origins of elite-instrumentalist interpretations of Roman religion by Greek and Roman writers, and how it persists in recent scholarship. It uses a particular “time map,” spanning the period from approximately the second quarter of the third century—leading to Rome's first titanic conflict with Carthage—to the aftermath of the Gracchan revolution. The chapter first provides an overview of the so-called “polis religion,” the focus of the modern study of Roman religion, describing it as a form of elite-instrumentalism. It then considers the elite-instrumentalist interpretation/model, its history, and its paradoxical longevity in order to understand how the Roman ruling elite used religion in the Middle Republic. It also examines some of the main features of elite religion in the Middle Roman Republic. Finally, it introduces definitions, parameters, and theoretical/methodological underpinnings for the chapters that follow.
Bernhard Maier
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780748616053
- eISBN:
- 9780748672219
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Edinburgh University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3366/edinburgh/9780748616053.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, Ancient History / Archaeology
Just as the Galatians of Asia Minor clung to much of their cultural identity after the establishment of the Roman province of Galatia, the Celtic tribes of Gaul preserved many features of their ...
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Just as the Galatians of Asia Minor clung to much of their cultural identity after the establishment of the Roman province of Galatia, the Celtic tribes of Gaul preserved many features of their native cultural heritage after the Roman conquest. From the blend of indigenous and foreign traditions, there emerged an independent Gallo-Roman culture which would endure for close to half a millennium, stretching from the Pyrenees to the Rhine and from the Atlantic to the Alps. This chapter discusses the history of the provinces of Gaul, Celtic texts from Roman Gaul, and aspects of Gallo-Roman religion.Less
Just as the Galatians of Asia Minor clung to much of their cultural identity after the establishment of the Roman province of Galatia, the Celtic tribes of Gaul preserved many features of their native cultural heritage after the Roman conquest. From the blend of indigenous and foreign traditions, there emerged an independent Gallo-Roman culture which would endure for close to half a millennium, stretching from the Pyrenees to the Rhine and from the Atlantic to the Alps. This chapter discusses the history of the provinces of Gaul, Celtic texts from Roman Gaul, and aspects of Gallo-Roman religion.
Jon Stewart
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- September 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780198829492
- eISBN:
- 9780191868030
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198829492.003.0011
- Subject:
- Religion, Philosophy of Religion
Hegel notes that it has been traditional to treat Greek and Roman religion together since there seems to be a general correspondence among their divinities. But in fact, he claims, they represent two ...
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Hegel notes that it has been traditional to treat Greek and Roman religion together since there seems to be a general correspondence among their divinities. But in fact, he claims, they represent two quite different general conceptions. Since the Romans and the Greeks had such different political developments, their cultures and religions are fundamentally distinct. The Roman gods are associated with numerous fixed goals or purposes. Hegel takes this to be an important point of contrast with the Greek religion. For the Greeks, the individual gods had a variety of individual powers and characteristics, but they were never fixed to their goals or ends in a dogged way. The Greek gods can be fickle, changing their minds just as humans tend to do. But the Roman gods are one-dimensional since they are fixed on a single end and are not anything more complex than this end.Less
Hegel notes that it has been traditional to treat Greek and Roman religion together since there seems to be a general correspondence among their divinities. But in fact, he claims, they represent two quite different general conceptions. Since the Romans and the Greeks had such different political developments, their cultures and religions are fundamentally distinct. The Roman gods are associated with numerous fixed goals or purposes. Hegel takes this to be an important point of contrast with the Greek religion. For the Greeks, the individual gods had a variety of individual powers and characteristics, but they were never fixed to their goals or ends in a dogged way. The Greek gods can be fickle, changing their minds just as humans tend to do. But the Roman gods are one-dimensional since they are fixed on a single end and are not anything more complex than this end.
James B. Rives
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199738960
- eISBN:
- 9780199918676
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199738960.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
James Rives addresses the monolithic theological role attributed to animal sacrifice in modern accounts of ancient Greek religion. Emphasizing the importance of a careful chronological perspective, ...
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James Rives addresses the monolithic theological role attributed to animal sacrifice in modern accounts of ancient Greek religion. Emphasizing the importance of a careful chronological perspective, he suggests that it was only in the philosophers of the imperial era that philosophers developed an actual pagan theology of sacrifice—likely in the Neopythagorean circles of the first century CE. It was likely the new importance of animal sacrifice in the imperial cult and in the rituals associated with euergetism that required those who did not wish to participate in civic worship to develop a more sophisticated reasoning for their rejection of sacrificial ritual: Rives especially points at the works of Porphyry of Tyre (3rd c. CE) as an example of such a critique. He also underscores that such developments confirm that the cultural meaning of ancient sacrifice did not remain stable throughout the ancient world.Less
James Rives addresses the monolithic theological role attributed to animal sacrifice in modern accounts of ancient Greek religion. Emphasizing the importance of a careful chronological perspective, he suggests that it was only in the philosophers of the imperial era that philosophers developed an actual pagan theology of sacrifice—likely in the Neopythagorean circles of the first century CE. It was likely the new importance of animal sacrifice in the imperial cult and in the rituals associated with euergetism that required those who did not wish to participate in civic worship to develop a more sophisticated reasoning for their rejection of sacrificial ritual: Rives especially points at the works of Porphyry of Tyre (3rd c. CE) as an example of such a critique. He also underscores that such developments confirm that the cultural meaning of ancient sacrifice did not remain stable throughout the ancient world.
Jörg Rüpke
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- May 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781501704703
- eISBN:
- 9781501706264
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501704703.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion in the Ancient World
This introductory chapter provides an overview of lived religion. Lived religiosity or “lived religion” is a concept helpful for further developing the notion of individual appropriation and ...
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This introductory chapter provides an overview of lived religion. Lived religiosity or “lived religion” is a concept helpful for further developing the notion of individual appropriation and reformulating it as a new paradigm in the analysis of Roman religion. Instead of inquiring into how individuals reproduce a set of religious practices and the intellectual tenets of a faith, religion is to be reconstructed as everyday experiences, practices, expressions, and interactions; these in turn constantly redefine religion as practice, idea, and community. The very different, strategic, and even subversive forms of individual appropriation are analytically confronted with traditions, their normative claims, and their institutional protections. Lived ancient religion thus offers a framework within which one can address the whole range of religious practices and conceptions, not as sets of fixed rules or beliefs, but as a permanently changing field of individual actions, inceptive traditions, monumental examples, and incoherent assumptions.Less
This introductory chapter provides an overview of lived religion. Lived religiosity or “lived religion” is a concept helpful for further developing the notion of individual appropriation and reformulating it as a new paradigm in the analysis of Roman religion. Instead of inquiring into how individuals reproduce a set of religious practices and the intellectual tenets of a faith, religion is to be reconstructed as everyday experiences, practices, expressions, and interactions; these in turn constantly redefine religion as practice, idea, and community. The very different, strategic, and even subversive forms of individual appropriation are analytically confronted with traditions, their normative claims, and their institutional protections. Lived ancient religion thus offers a framework within which one can address the whole range of religious practices and conceptions, not as sets of fixed rules or beliefs, but as a permanently changing field of individual actions, inceptive traditions, monumental examples, and incoherent assumptions.
