Ancient Roman religion

[Last Roman]

While we are all (or most of us anyways) are familiar with the Roman gods and mythology that were borrowed/assimilated from the Greeks, was that always the case? I would assume that Rome did not always follow the Greek inspired legends and gods. Could someone enlighten me?

[Tiberius Tosi]

While most of the ideas for the Gods were taken from the Greeks, the earlier names used for Gods that were from the Latins and Etruscans were kept, and the Greek names were replaced with the Latin or Etruscan Gods names.

Most of the state religions I believe stayed rather Greek in its nature, but many cults arose. For example many Egyptian Gods were adopted by many, especially soldiers. Gods like Mythras (Persian sun God) became almost unofficially a Roman God. Most of these cults arose from foriegn influence as the Empire grew, and religion became more complex.

The legends of the Greek Gods changed to reflect more Roman ideals than Greek ones as well. Religion was much more a state controlled thing in Rome than in Greece as well, with some of the highest public offices being in charge of religious matters.

[removeduser_487563287433]

While we are all (or most of us anyways) are familiar with the Roman gods and mythology that were borrowed/assimilated from the Greeks, was that always the case? I would assume that Rome did not always follow the Greek inspired legends and gods. Could someone enlighten me?

You're looking at it the wrong way. They're not Greek Gods, they're Indo-European ones. The Romans took particular flavours from the Greeks - but much more importantly the Etruscans. They also had their own local developments that didn't not disappear in the face of these influencing cultures, such as geniuses and larae.

[MaximiIian]

While we are all (or most of us anyways) are familiar with the Roman gods and mythology that were borrowed/assimilated from the Greeks, was that always the case? I would assume that Rome did not always follow the Greek inspired legends and gods. Could someone enlighten me?

Prior to the absorption of Greek myths and lore, Roman religion was a patchwork of Etruscan mythology, animism, and ancestor worship. The Roman gods were a mixture of Etruscan, Sabine, and Latin deities. Only much later did the Roman gods acquire the attributes of the Greek pantheon. For example, Mars was originally an agricultural god and patron deity of Rome.

PS) an aside: this is why I view the Roman gods as separate beings from the Greek gods. I'd never conflate Diana and Artemis, even if they historically had similar attributes; because their origins were from separate pantheons. I personally think it'd be rude to conflate them.

[Flavius Nevitta]

Maximilian is correct.

Additionally:

The Romans did NOT just "borrow" greek gods. They had their own and SOME of them were partly equal with the greek gods. Some of the Greek stories were introduced to the Romans (mainly in literature) but Roman gods also differed greatly from the greek ones.

Taking some of the greek stories was not such a problem because all of them are discribing just aspects of nature or are stories to learn from. unlike Christianity for example, which tries to connect to actual history.

Many Roman gods, or the way they were percieved and celebrated by the Romans differed greatly from how the Greeks saw their Gods.

Take Mars/Ares as an example: the Roman Mars is viewed much differently. Ares is a negative figure, he is the chaos and ruthlessness of war. Mars is a completely different god of war. The Greek Ares never recieved such a cult and worship as did the Roman Mars. Mars gives you to power to fight, Mars is the avenger, the subduer of enemies.

Ares doesn't care for one side. Ares wants war for wars sake. Imho this is connected with the social/political situation: Ares was a war god among all greeks, who fought each other constantly. He didn't choose a side, he brought death to all greeks alike.

Mars is the Roman god, the Romans are his people and he is on their side, takes revenge for them if they lose, that's Mars Ultor.

On the other hand Minerva never was as prominent as Athena. She was important but not as much as in Greece. Odysseus is one of the Greeks great heroes, together with Perseus and Theseus, who are all protegeès of Athena.

They use sneaky ways, they face their own fears and defeat the enemy. Something the Greeks loved. For the Romans the power of Mars and Juppiter was what led them in battle, commanders are replaceable...the power of the state and its army is what wins a war.

Then we have Kronos, who plays only a very minor role in worship in Greece but Rome celebrates him, the bringer of a new golden age for Italy. For the Greeks he's a god thrown from his thrown, for the Romans he is much more.

And then we have other aspects which play major roles in Roman religion:

the spirits which are everywhere. you can't enter a house or anything properly if the spirits don't want you to (of course such things got less and less important over time but still).

the spirits of the dead are present and help you, protect you. The legionary eagles contained the powers of the dead who had served under them and are worshipped by placing roses on them and so on.

Such things were very important to the Romans.

A prayer, a ritual had to be redone if only a minor mistake was made. The Greeks were often not as serious about such things (as well as in Roman prayer you have to cover your head).

As I said, what the Romans mainly took were the stories and often only for literary purpose, or because they are stories which teach you something about life, nature, a.s.o.

The Romans had the belief that each foreign god had its power and should not be offended. that'S why they included so many into their worship and even had temples to the "unknown god". someone to include all foreign gods you might offend.


Edit: sorry, all a bit confusingly written.

One more thing I'd like to add:

but this can only be touched briefly. so it'S only a minor scratch on the outside but I don'T have the time and patience to write a whole essay now:

divine aspects:

a person could become divine after death (see emperor divination), but also certain aspects of a person could be "godlike" (note that a divus is not the same as one of the original gods...he's godlike...more like a saint perhaps). You didn't be wholy great to achieve such things but it could be certain character straits which placed you above others. One such example is Caesar who's clementia was celebrated after his death as a godly aspect of his character.

[neoptolemos]

Then we have Chronos, who plays only a very minor role in worship in Greece but Rome celebrates him, the bringer of a new golden age for Italy. For the Greeks he's a god thrown from his thrown, for the Romans he is much more.

It's Kronos not Chronos
(Chronos=Χρόνος=time in Greek)
Kronos and Rea were the titan couple that gave birth to the important Olympian gods

[Flavius Nevitta]

It's Kronos not Chronos
(Chronos=Χρόνος=time in Greek)
Kronos and Rea were the titan couple that gave birth to the important Olympian gods

oh yes not my day today...in the other thread I wrote about a "crouched lance", here I mixed 2 gods' names...

better go to bed now

[Plebeian]

When the Romans were still an agricultural folk, their first or chief god appears to have been Janus, at various times thought of as the sun god, the sky, the thunderer, and the governor of all beginnings and entrances. Janus was later superseded by other gods, like Jupiter. Rome's religion was mostly a mix of animism, nature-worship, and strong Etruscan influences before any Greek influence was felt.

[Last Roman]

cool, lots of good stuff here.

[★Bandiera Rossa☭]

They originally had Latin and Etruscan gods which they later replaced with Greek ones.. however they still kept many seperate gods as well.. And during the not so ancient times after the spread of Christianity they adopted many other religions dieties..

[SonOfAlexander]

The Roman's Etruscan origins meant that their gods were very similar to the Greeks. Remember, Romans are a very evolved strain of Greek.