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Roman Religious Beliefs

Roman Religious Beliefs. Latin II. Earliest Roman Times. numina- spirits or divinities who controlled all things in the Roman world fire, weather, seasons Give gifts to ensure numina use powers for good, not harm. 3 rd Century BC. vota.

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Roman Religious Beliefs

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  1. Roman Religious Beliefs Latin II

  2. Earliest Roman Times • numina- spirits or divinities who controlled all things in the Roman world • fire, weather, seasons • Give gifts to ensure numina use powers for good, not harm

  3. 3rd Century BC

  4. vota • promises of gifts, offerings or sacrifices made to ensure the god would grant a wish or favor • How you communicated wishes to gods • Had to be tangible

  5. do ut des I give so that you might give

  6. do ut des Public ceremony, sacrifice before army went to war Go to forum before business deal, safe voyage, birth of child In your home- make offerings to Vesta or lares/penates After the fact- make sacrifice to thank gods for granting a wish

  7. Divination • attempts to discover the future • how to tell what the gods were trying to say to you • omen/omina- warnings or omens from the gods • Many types of divination • Myromancy- behavior of ants • Cleromancy- rolling dice • Myomancy- studying behavior of mice

  8. Divination haruspicy augury • predicting future events/outcome of events by observing animal sacrifices and examining the liver • predicting the future from the flight patterns of birds

  9. Roman State Religion Capitoline Triad- Jupiter, Juno, Minerva

  10. Roman State Religion • -do ut des on a larger scale • -if father looks after his family • by praying to the gods, • government officials must • look out for the prosperity • of the empire • Government officials were • also priests and had to • carry out sacrifices

  11. Emperor- The Pontifex Maximus

  12. Sacrificing for Dummies…. -onlookers must be silent -correct type of animal -every word pronounced correctly -no one can trip, stumble, forget a step -animal must be willing!

  13. Sacrificing for Dummies…. -if rules broken- Gods angry and the entire ceremony done over!

  14. The Role of Religion in Romanization -captured peoples allowed to keep own gods if they would also worship Roman ones -Romans were generally tolerant (except Christians) -locals encouraged to link Roman and native gods WHY?

  15. Emperor Worship • Originates in East- Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor • genius- protecting spirit of the emperor • WHY?

  16. Apotheosis -the act of becoming a god Væ, puto deus fio

  17. Other Belief Systems • As long as you took part in state religion, free to worship any other gods/participate in any other religion • People did not see a contradiction, since there was no personal relationship with Roman gods

  18. Astrology • astrology- belief that events in a person’s life were controlled by the stars • you can predict the future by studying the positions and movements of the stars

  19. Mystery Cults • offered hope of life after death • offered followers a one-on-one relationship with the divinity Isis Mithras Cybele

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