Roman Religion

Roman Religion

Sacrifices
1. To keep on good terms with god
  1. So prayers are answered
    1. Safe voyage
    2. Successful business venture
    3. Birth
Epicurean
1. Ataraxia and freedom of anxiety
2. Pleasure sole good, pain sole evil
  1. Pleasures were differentiated: more refined pleasures superior in terms of quantity and durability, in comparison to coarser pleasures ie drinking
3. You should get something in return for friendship
4. Seclusion from politics
5. Founded by Epicurus
  1. Followed traditional Greek religion but warned that one should avoid holding false opinions about the gods
6. Pleasure attained by pursuing only simple needs that are easily satisfied even by the poor
7. Soul, god, world made up of physical matter/atoms. Soul dies with body- won't feel death. No need for fear of gods
Stoic
1. Politics
2. Cicero high purpose of public service
3. Advocated suicide as way of ending unavoidable pain
4. Believed that soul died with body at death
5. Believed world would end in conflagration
6. Founded by Zeno
7. Human passions and physical desires must be regulated by reason
8. Feel physical pain, but know that physical pain leaves the true reasoning self untouched
9. The only good is to live in a state of wisdom and virtue
10. Pursuing wisdom and virtue is good because unlike physical pleasure/material wealth, wisdom and virtue are matters of the intellect and under the individuals control
Divination
1. Haruspex
  1. Interpreted sacrifice to see if gods favoured
  2. Dissection of liver etc
2. Augur
  1. Bird omens
Unrecalled
1. State religion
  1. 7 Roman gods promoted
    1. Ceres, Mars, Venus, Minerva, Diana, Apollo, Juno
      1. Just make life a damn money venture!!!
2. Emperor was Pontifex Maximus, chief priest
  1. Worshipped in eastern provinces
3. Britons
  1. Encouraged to identify with Roman God
    1. Celtic Sulis, merged with Minerva: Sulis Minerva
  2. Encouraged to worship genius or protecting spirit of Emperor- linked with Roma
4. Romanisation via religion was successful
  1. Upper class looked to Rome to promote careers
  2. Reduces uprisings
  3. Creates sense of belonging

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	Created by Declan Wiseman about 9 years ago