Roman Religion
A Roman Mosaic of Jesus, a
central figure to Christianity.
Traveling to Rome may give you a slight surprise once you discover the history of Rome's religious beliefs. This page will enhance your knowledge and ultimately prepare you culturally and religiously for your trip to experience the life of Romans.
Similar to the various ancient cities, the importance of Religion embarks greatly on the daily lives and the roles of the civilian in the Roman Empire. Religious activities are frequently a part of daily life in the homes as well as in urban centers and towns. However, over the course of the Roman Empire the qualities of religious beliefs and traditions have transformed incredibly.
Originally this empire had polytheistic beliefs, meaning that multiple gods made up the core of the religious behavior and many gods controlled many forces. The Romans strongly believed in having good relations with gods, and slightly worshipped out of fear. The explanations for life’s rewards and punishments were often related back to the gods. In fact, the expression “do ut des” was commonly used to mean, “I give so that you will give.” This phrase was emblematic of the religious lifestyle in the empire as well as the common sacrifices. These gods were very similar to the Greek gods, but there was some variety. Instead of the chief God being Zeus, the main religious figure was Jupiter; a few other Greek gods had equivalent roles in Roman religion. Religious activity was municipal and consisted of multiple festivals for praising the gods. Also, each family had a shrine in their home. However major changes came soon after this polytheistic time period as people slowly started to adopt Christianity.
The empire saw a massive change as the rise of Christianity spread further and further throughout Rome. For many years, Christianity was banned and most Christians were punished; in fact, feeding Christians to lions was a common form of entertainment. However, change is bound to happen in such a strong empire, easily said regarding the fact that Christianity is now the predominant religion of Rome. The religion started to rise when the home of Judaism, the land of Judea, came under Roman rule, and began to gain followers. The Roman government was strongly opposed to the practice of Judaism and the religious people faced the possibility of excruciating punishment. However, the Jewish believed a savior, or messiah, was quickly approaching. Jesus, a current central figure in Christianity, was essentially a religious teacher. Eventually, Jesus was given to the control of the Roman government, and he suffered under Pontius Pilate. Jesus was imprisoned and executed by crucifixion. Followers were convinced he was the son of God through his resurrection. The belief that Jesus was a savior developed the basic belief system of Christianity. The original converts were usually poor, and they had to keep their religious practice under wrap. They often practiced in undergrounds tombs, until a bold emperor approved the practice of Christianity. Emperor Constantine made worship of Christ legal in AD 313, and soon after in AD 391 the praise of other gods was made illegal, meaning Christianity became the official religion of Rome.
Clearly, the path of the fickle religious beliefs of the Romans came to an end, considering Christianity is still the official belief system. Traveling to Rome provides an exclusive look at Rome’s first legal Christians, while also seeing the recent effects of the rulings of Constantine.
Similar to the various ancient cities, the importance of Religion embarks greatly on the daily lives and the roles of the civilian in the Roman Empire. Religious activities are frequently a part of daily life in the homes as well as in urban centers and towns. However, over the course of the Roman Empire the qualities of religious beliefs and traditions have transformed incredibly.
Originally this empire had polytheistic beliefs, meaning that multiple gods made up the core of the religious behavior and many gods controlled many forces. The Romans strongly believed in having good relations with gods, and slightly worshipped out of fear. The explanations for life’s rewards and punishments were often related back to the gods. In fact, the expression “do ut des” was commonly used to mean, “I give so that you will give.” This phrase was emblematic of the religious lifestyle in the empire as well as the common sacrifices. These gods were very similar to the Greek gods, but there was some variety. Instead of the chief God being Zeus, the main religious figure was Jupiter; a few other Greek gods had equivalent roles in Roman religion. Religious activity was municipal and consisted of multiple festivals for praising the gods. Also, each family had a shrine in their home. However major changes came soon after this polytheistic time period as people slowly started to adopt Christianity.
The empire saw a massive change as the rise of Christianity spread further and further throughout Rome. For many years, Christianity was banned and most Christians were punished; in fact, feeding Christians to lions was a common form of entertainment. However, change is bound to happen in such a strong empire, easily said regarding the fact that Christianity is now the predominant religion of Rome. The religion started to rise when the home of Judaism, the land of Judea, came under Roman rule, and began to gain followers. The Roman government was strongly opposed to the practice of Judaism and the religious people faced the possibility of excruciating punishment. However, the Jewish believed a savior, or messiah, was quickly approaching. Jesus, a current central figure in Christianity, was essentially a religious teacher. Eventually, Jesus was given to the control of the Roman government, and he suffered under Pontius Pilate. Jesus was imprisoned and executed by crucifixion. Followers were convinced he was the son of God through his resurrection. The belief that Jesus was a savior developed the basic belief system of Christianity. The original converts were usually poor, and they had to keep their religious practice under wrap. They often practiced in undergrounds tombs, until a bold emperor approved the practice of Christianity. Emperor Constantine made worship of Christ legal in AD 313, and soon after in AD 391 the praise of other gods was made illegal, meaning Christianity became the official religion of Rome.
Clearly, the path of the fickle religious beliefs of the Romans came to an end, considering Christianity is still the official belief system. Traveling to Rome provides an exclusive look at Rome’s first legal Christians, while also seeing the recent effects of the rulings of Constantine.