The ancient gods of Rome: Features of paganism.

religious beliefs of the ancient Romans evolved.Initially, there was a polytheistic religion - pagan.The Romans believed in many gods.

structure and basic concepts of Roman religion

Like any other polytheistic faith, Roman paganism had no clear organization.In fact, a collection of a large number of ancient cults.The ancient gods of Rome in charge of different aspects of human life and the natural elements.In each family revered rituals - they held the head of the family.The gods asked for help in the home and personal affairs.

were ceremonies that were conducted at the state level - they were performed at different times of the priests, the consuls, dictators, Pretoria.They asked for help from the gods in battle, and promote the intercession in the battle with the enemy.Divination and rituals play a big role in public affairs.

During the reign of Numa Pompilius, the notion of "Priest."It was a representative of a closed caste.The priests had a great influence on the ruler, they had secret rituals and communicate with the gods.In the days of the empire began to perform the function of the Pontiff Emperor.Characteristically, the gods of ancient Greece and Rome were similar for the functions they perform - they just had different names.

main features of the religion of Rome

important characteristics of Roman beliefs were:

• great impact of foreign borrowing.The Romans often in contact with other people during the conquest.Particularly close were contacts with Greece;
• religion was closely linked with politics.This can be judged on the basis of the existence of the cult of the imperial power;
• characterized by empowering the divine attributes of concepts such as happiness, love, justice;
• close relationship myths and beliefs - defines, but does not distinguish Roman pagan religion from other systems;
• huge number of cults and rituals.They differed scale, but covers all aspects of public and private life;
• Romans deified even little things like return from a hike, the first word a baby and more.

The Roman pantheon

Gods of the Romans, like the Greeks, were humanoid.They believed in the power of nature and spirits.The main deity was Jupiter.His poems were the sky, he was the lord of thunder and lightning.In honor of Jupiter carried great game, it was dedicated to the temple on the Capitol Hill.The ancient gods of Rome takes care of different aspects of human life: Venus - love, Juno - marital relations, Diana - hunting, Minerva - craft West - home.

In the Roman pantheon of gods were the fathers - the most revered of all, and the lower deity.It was also believed in ghosts which were present in everything that surrounds a person.Researchers believe that the worship of the spirits were present only at an early stage of development of the religion of Rome.Initially, the main gods were considered to Mars, Jupiter and Quirinus.During an appearance institute priesthood originated ancestral cults.I believe that every caste and noble family patronizes a certain god.There were cults in the genus Claudian, Cornelia and other representatives of the top of society.

At the state level Saturnalia celebrated - in honor of Saturn, god of agriculture.Grandiose celebration, thanking the patron of the harvest.

social struggle in society has led to the design of a triad of gods or "plebeian triad" - Ceres, Liber and Libera.The Romans were isolated as heaven, earth and the chthonic deities.There was a belief in demons.They were divided into good and evil.The first group includes hearth, the Lares and geniuses.They kept the tradition of home, hearth and protected the head of the family.Evil demons - lemurs and laurels prevented good and harm to humans.These creatures appear, if the dead were buried, without observing the rituals.

gods of ancient Rome, the list of which includes more than 50 different creatures, were objects of worship for many centuries - the only change is the degree of influence of each of them in the consciousness of the people.

In the days of the empire popularized the goddess Roma - the patroness of the entire state.

any gods borrowed from the Romans?

a result of frequent contacts with other peoples, the Romans began to include the culture of others beliefs and practices.Researchers tend to think all religion is a set of borrowings.The main reason for this - the Romans respected the beliefs of the people who won.There was a ritual that formally introduced outlandish deity in the pantheon of Rome.This ceremony was called evocatus.

ancient gods in the pantheon of Rome emerged as a result of close cultural ties with the conquered peoples and the active development of its own culture.The most prominent are borrowing Mithra and Cybele.

Table "Gods of Ancient Rome and the Greek compliance»:

Mythology of Ancient Rome

In all pagan cultures, myths and religious beliefs are closely relateda.Subjects Roman myths is traditional - the foundation of the city and the state, creation of the universe and the birth of the gods.This is one of the most interesting aspect of the study of culture.Researchers mythological system can keep track of the whole evolution of the beliefs of the Romans.

Traditionally legends contain many descriptions of the miraculous, supernatural events, which are believed by the ancient people.From these narratives can be identified particular political views of the people, which are hidden in the fantastic text.

In the mythology of almost all nations in the first place is the topic of creation, cosmogony.But not in this case.It mostly describes the heroic events of the ancient gods of Rome, rituals and ceremonies, to be carried out.

Heroes had semi-divine origin.legendary founders of Rome - Romulus and Remus - were children warlike Mars and the vestal priestesses, and their great ancestor Aeneas - son of Aphrodite and a great king.

gods of ancient Rome, a list which includes the borrowed and local deities, more than 50 names.