Roman Pagan Religion

Practices and Rituals of Roman Paganism

11/20/2014
HIST 2206 - 001
Michelle Arancibia
Word Count: 2000
Emily Hutchison

Religion in ancient Rome was central to the identity of the Romans; their founding
legends revolve around religion. The founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, are said to have
been sired by Mars, the god of violence, and their mother was a vestal virgin, a part of the
Roman religion. Upon Romulus death, Romulus himself turns into a god. Once Romulus died, a
new king was appointed, Numa Pompilius, Numa, in essence, created the Roman religion as he
was said to have been able to communicate with the gods.
The Roman people did not separate state from church; in fact, because only the elite were
able to hold positions in the church, many priests were elected into positions of power. Military
success was always attributed to the gods, and in fact, war was always dedicated to the gods.
Religion was not based on faith or dogmas, but instead was based on a quid-pro-quo system. The
Romans built and dedicated temples to the gods, and in turn they expected the gods to give back
usually a military win thus, the Romans attributed their dominance to their collective pietas
to the gods. Religion was viewed as a source of social order, and so, once they conquered a new
territory, they adopted that territorys religion in order to maintain order.
The Romans, therefore, had many gods and goddesses, temples and festivals that were
theirs by the founding, or adoption. With these gods came many practices and rituals, such as
sacrifice, that made the Roman religion paganistic. As the empire became larger, however, some
religious problems in the colonies arose, the biggest one being the use of magic.
The story of Roman religion begins with Romes founding fathers; the biggest
contributor to Romes original religion is Numa. Numa instigated the quid-pro-quo aspect of the
religion. Roman religion was, therefore, very much based upon duty; duty of the gods and duty
to the gods. Numa created the Pontifices, which are priests, and was said to have been one

himself.1 The Pontifices attend to the service of the gods, which makes them powerful as the
gods have power and command over all Roman people.2 The Pontifex Maximus was the chief
priest who interpreted the divine law, made the rules for public ceremony, regulated sacrifices,
and gave information to people on the matters of worship and supplication.3 He would also be
the guardian of the vestal virgins.4
The vestal virgins kept the hearth of Rome with pure, unpolluted, or tainted flames, just
like the virgins themselves.5 There would only ever be four vestals at a time, the first two were
ordained and consecrated by Numa, Servius Tullius then added two more.6 Numa created a code
of conduct for the vestals:
That they should take a vow of virginity for the space of thirty years, the first ten of
which they were to spend in learning their duties, the second ten in performing them, and
the remaining ten in teaching and instructing others. Thus the whole term being
completed, it was lawful for them to marry, and leaving the sacred order, to choose any
condition of life that pleased them.7

Plutarch, "Numa: The Institutions of Roman Religion, 7th Cent. BCE," in Ancient History Sourcebook, ed. William
Stearns Davis, http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/7Cnuma.asp (accessed November 19, 2014).

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

Ibid.

However, many vestals that had completed their term chose to remain virgins and
continued to lead a strict single life. They did however, have many privileges appointed to them.8
If, however, a virgin is found to have broken her vow of virginity, all her privileges would be
taken away and she would be punished severely before being executed . The virgins are so
important in Roman religion that the entire city-state would be in mourning if this were to
happen.
Agriculture was very important to the Romans, as it was their source of food, and to
farmers, a source of income as well. There are two rituals that are associated with agriculture; the
planting ritual and the harvest ritual. Cato the Elder describes each of these rituals with specifics
on what to offer and how to offer as follows:
The Planting Ritual
The offering is to be made in this way: Offer to Jupiter Dapalis a cup of wine of whatever
size you wish. Observe the day as a holiday for the oxen, their drivers, and those who
make the offering. When you make the offering, say as follows: "Jupiter Dapalis, since it
is due and proper that a cup of wine be offered you, in my home among my family, for
your sacred feast; for that reason, be honored by this feast that is offered you." Wash your
hands, and then take the wine and say: "Jupiter Dapalis, be honored by this feast that is
offered to you and be honored by the wine that is placed before you." If you wish, make
an offering to Vesta. The feast of Jupiter consists of roasted meat and an urn of wine.
Present it to Jupiter religiously, in the proper form. After the offering is made, plant
millet, panic grass, garlic, and lentils.9
8

Ibid.

Cato; Cicero; Livy; and Plutarch, "Accounts of Roman State Religion," in Ancient History Sourcebook, ed. William
Stearns Davis, trans. D. Spillan and Cyrus Edmonds, http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/romrelig3.asp
(accessed November 19, 2014).

The Harvest Ritual

Before the harvest the sacrifice of the pig must be offered in this manner: Offer a sow
as porca praecidanea to Ceres before you harvest spelt, wheat, barley, beans, and rape
seed. Offer a prayer, with incense and wine, to Janus, Jupiter and Juno, before offering
the sow. Offer a pile of cakes to Janus, saying, "Father Janus, in offering these cakes to
you, I humbly pray that you will be propitious and merciful to me and my children, my
house and my household." Then make an offering of cake to Jupiter with these words: "In
offering you this cake, O Jupiter, I humbly pray that you, pleased with this offering, will
be propitious and merciful to me and my children, my house and my household." Then
present the wine to Janus, saying: "Father Janus, as I have prayed humbly in offering you
the cakes, so may you in the same way be honored by this wine now placed before you."
Then pray to Jupiter thus: "Jupiter, may you be honored in accepting this cake; may you
be honored in accepting the wine placed before you." Then sacrifice theporca
praecidanea. When the entrails have been removed, make an offering of cakes to Janus,
and pray in the same way as you have prayed before. Offer a cake to Jupiter, praying just
as before. In the same way offer wine to Janus and offer wine to Jupiter, in the same way
as before in offering the pile of cakes, and in the consecration of the cake. Afterward
offer the entrails and wine to Ceres.10

10

Ibid.

Festivals in Rome changed regularly and their significance were almost never clearly
defined, the one festival, Lupercalia, that did have significance attached to it, was never clearly
defined, as it had many meaning attached to it. There is also very little on rituals, and those that
had been written down, didnt have any story, myth, or significance attached to them.11
Romans adopted religion from their colonies, the most well-known adoption being that
of the Greek religion. The Roman gods and the Greek gods are the same, with the exception of
their names. For example, Jupiter is Zues. The religions that Rome adopted, however, had to be
harmless to the existing social order.12 One religion that proved to be detrimental to the Roman
society was the Bacchanalian Cult. This cult had its own social hierarchy with a highlystructured organization that included male priests and that owed no allegiance to the political and
social control of Rome.13
According to Livy, the Bacchanalians were lustful and committed many crimes against
the gods. The senate and by extension, the consul, wanted to expel these people; Livy states the
following:
When the authority of the gods is held out as a pretext to cover vice, fear enters
our minds, lest, in punishing the crimes of men, we may violate some divine right
connected therewith. Numberless decisions of the pontiffs, decrees of the senate,
and even answers of the haruspices free you from religious scruples of this
character. How often in the ages of our fathers was it given in charge to the
magistrates, to prohibit the performance of any foreign religious rites; to banish
strolling sacrificers and soothsayers from the forum, the circus, and the city; to
search for, and burn, books of divination; and to abolish every mode of sacrificing
11

Stevenson, Tom, 2014, "Roman Religion (Greece and Rome New Surveys in the Classics no. 30)," in Electronic Antiquity:
Communicating the Classics 6 (1): 11/19/14.

12

Ibid.

13

Ibid.

that was not conformable to the Roman practice! For they, completely versed in
every divine and human law, maintained that nothing tended so strongly to the
subversion of religion as sacrifice, when we offered it not after the institutions of
our forefathers, but after foreign customs. Thus much I thought necessary to
mention to you beforehand, that no vain scruple might disturb your minds when
you should see us demolishing the places resorted to by the Bacchanalians, and
dispersing their impious assemblies. We shall do all these things with the favor
and approbation of the gods; who, because they were indignant that their divinity
was dishonored by those people's lusts and crimes, have drawn forth their
proceedings from hidden darkness into the open light; and who have directed
them to be exposed, not that they may escape with impunity, but in order that they
may be punished and suppressed. The senate have committed to me and my
colleague an inquisition extraordinary concerning that affair. What is requisite to
be done by ourselves, in person, we will do with energy. The charge of posting
watches through the city, during the night, we have committed to the inferior
magistrates; and, for your parts, it is incumbent on you to execute vigorously
whatever duties are assigned you, and in the several places where each will be
placed, to perform whatever orders you shall receive, and to use your best
endeavors that no danger or tumult may arise from the treachery of the party
involved in the guilt.14
Religion in Rome is a very complicated matter. It is not spiritual, but dutiful.
Much of the religion gave birth to many different types of art, like statues, and music.15

14

Livy, T., "Roman Religious Toleration: The Senatus Consultum De Bacchanalibus, 186 BCE," in Ancient History Sourcebook, ed.
Oliver J. Thatcher, http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/livy39.asp (accessed November 19, 2014).

15

Price, S. R. F., 1982, in The Journal of Roman Studies 72: 194.

As time wore on and the Roman Empire became older, religion started to wane, with the
advent of Augustus, however, religion again flourished.16
Roman pagan religion started before Rome was even built with Romulus and
Remus and their religious beliefs. From there Numa made it evolve to become a complex
and dutiful religion. As Rome expanded, so did its religious practices and beliefs. There
are not too many rituals that have been written down and the ones that have been do not
have their meaning and significance attached to them. As a result of Romes adoption of
religion, the Greek gods became Roman, and cults that were socially and politically
detrimental to Rome were extinguished.

16

North, J. A., 1986, "Religion and Politics, from Republic to Principate," in The Journal of Roman Studies 76: 251.

Bibliography
Cato; Cicero; Livy; and Plutarch. "Accounts of Roman State Religion." In Ancient History
Sourcebook, ed. William Stearns Davis. Trans. D. Spillan and Cyrus Edmonds.
http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/romrelig3.asp (accessed November 19, 2014).
Livy, T. "Roman Religious Toleration: The Senatus Consultum De Bacchanalibus, 186 BCE." In
Ancient History Sourcebook, ed. Oliver J. Thatcher.
http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/livy39.asp (accessed November 19, 2014).
North, J. A. 1986. "Religion and Politics, from Republic to Principate." The Journal of Roman
Studies 76: 251-258. http://library.mtroyal.ca:2055/stable/300373.
Plutarch. "Numa: The Institutions of Roman Religion, 7th Cent. BCE." In Ancient History
Sourcebook, ed. William Stearns Davis.
http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/7Cnuma.asp (accessed November 19, 2014).
Price, S. R. F. 1982.The Journal of Roman Studies 72: 194 196. http://library.mtroyal.ca:2055/stable/299139.
Stevenson, Tom. 2014. "Roman Religion (Greece and Rome New Surveys in the Classics no.
30)." Electronic Antiquity: Communicating the Classics 6 (1): 11/19/14.