Gods and Goddesses - Research Paper Example

Introduction: This paper examines the influence of gods and goddesses in the Rome. The Roman myths emanated from a mixture of the various beliefs of the Greek people. Most gods that the Romans worshipped came from the Greeks1. The Romans believed in many gods and goddesses and all of these gods and goddesses had their specialized role in this society. A god like Mars for example would help in fighting fearsome battles and this meant he had most of the soldiers at heart2. In case of battles soldiers could be found to be praying to this Mars for spiritual and physical strength. The Religious Beliefs of the Romans: The Roman gods had a strange mix of influences. As Rome grew in size, so was their superstitions and religious beliefs. The Greeks came into contact with Romans right from the moment the city started to expand in size. It came to be known that Roman gods had a mix of both Latin and Greek mix3. The two tended to have the same god who had the same function. Take for example, Vulcan, the god of fire. The Greeks had a similar god, referred to as Hephaestus. Therefore the Romans had to mix the two gods and came up with one. Some of the most important spiritual beings worshipped by Romans include Jupiter and Juno. Jupiter was their main god, while Juno was his wife, and she was regarded as a goddess of fertility. The Romans used the peacock and the pomegranate to symbolize her presence4. Another important god amongst the Romans is Mars. He was regarded as a god of war, and he was very powerful, but subordinate to Jupiter. The Romans believed in Venus, Minerva, Neptune and Ceres. Venus was in charge of love and beuaty, Minerva on the other hand, symbolized wisdom, art, and knowledge. The Romans used an owl to symbolize her presence5. Neptune on the other hand was the guardian of the sea, while Ceres was in charge of agriculture. In addition another god called Diana was a goddess of hunting; Bacchus on the other hand was in charge of wine and leisure. It is stated that he was the most famous god in Rome, and this is because the Roman people loved partying, and they constantly sought his affection when engaging in such activities6. The Romans also believed in another important god, referred to as Mercury. His responsibility was to deliver the messages that gods had to the people. Influence on Rome before 1500 Political Expansion Even though early Romans placed did not regard and care for the personality of their gods, they were concerned on their functions. These early Romans integrated worship of the gods into all aspects of their lives. In politics and geographic influence, Rome integrated religious beliefs and customs7. Assimilation was visible in all corners of life. For example, the Romans began worshipping the goddess Cybele because of the threat that Hannibal was posing towards the people of Rome. Influence on religion Religion in ancient Rome was based partly on the worship of the Greek gods. Some of the gods worshipped by the Greek people, was also worshipped by the Romans. During this period ( 484 BC) Castor and Polydeuces gods were first adopted. Later, Apollo was introduced. Apollo would then take the symbol of Roman virtue and austerity8. Zeus was a god who ruled over the Pantheon of gods who were believed to live on Mount Olympus about whom many stories were told. Household Spirits In the lives of Romans household were seen to have personal spirits which protected every household. They were called the lares and in essence were family ancestral spirits. The penates were kind of spirits that guarded the larder9. It is stated that little shrines, the lararium, were placed in houses to and these spirits could be worshipped on daily basis. Sacrifices in the form of bits of wine and food were offered to these spirits. Later on Emperor Constantine brought in Christianity which changed the whole of Rome and Europe.) Influence on Family justice The Roman gods had a direct influence on the family lives of the Romans. Take for instance Juno, who was the goddess of fertility. The Romans believed that she had the power and capability of providing children to them. Furthermore, Juno was the wife of Jupiter, and they acted as role models to the Romans, on how to create and sustain a family. Influence on Women Roman gods and goddesses had a great influence on the manner in which the Romans treated their women. Initially men saw wives as best inconveniences, but then with the introduction of gods high value was placed on marriage, and home and family this made a big difference on how women were treated10. Women could not hold any public office during the periods of Roman reign. The introduction of goddess of women and fertility (Juno) saw this perception start to shift slowly. Men had started to put emphasis on family and home. The goddess of beauty (Venus) saw men start to be interested in the voices of women at every juncture. Because their beauty could be represented in a special way by the goddess and this determined the married type. Vesta also protected women in homes and the hearth11. The goddess was seen as the most important to the Romans and by that, her temple was light up every time. The goddess of hunting, Diana, helped men to provide from their families and protected them during their hunting sessions. All these made men change their perceptions about women from being inconvenience to very special beings so to say12. Raping of women was regarded as a lack of honor among the Romans. In the rape story between Lucretia and King Sextus Tarquinius it was noted that honor among Romans played a key factor in every individual. She was raped at the point of a sword and this resulted into a lot of enmity between her husband and the King13. He swore before the gods that he would hunt the King to his last breath to restore the honor placed on her wife by the gods. If this happened during those periods then what can really happen in the present world. Divine Kingship/Emperors The nature of Roman gods expanded as the empire came into contact with the idea of divine kingship. At the beginning the Romans refused to recognize a human being as a god. But at 44 BC, Julius Ceasar permitted a statue of himself, which portrayed him as a god14. Ironically that same year, the Romans assassinated Julius Ceasar. They agitated against the notion of dictatorship rule and so could not withstand the oppressive leadership before them. Conclusion The influence of gods and goddesses in ancient Rome made great changes to the live of people during that period. From all walks of life, that is, religion to marriage to philosophical knowledge to politics and women, gods and goddesses played a huge impact on the lives of these individuals. Women started to gain honor and respect before the eyes of men, and boundaries started to expand. Kings and emperors were regarded as gods and life was all about the gods. With the passing of time (312 A.D) emperor Constantine introduced Christianity and these made huge changes not only in Rome but Europe as a continent. Because this was the starting point of the growth and acceptance of Christianity in Europe and a lot of issues revolved around it up to now. End Notes: 1. Heever Gerhard Van Den, "Redescribing Graeco-Roman Antiquity: On Religion and History of Religion," Religion and Theology (2006): 214. 2. Ada Gabucci, Rome (Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 2006), 23. 3. John Curran, Pagan City and Christian Capital Rome in the Fourth Century Oxford: Clarendon Press, 2000), 43. 4. Michael Lipka, Roman Gods a Conceptual Approach (Leiden: Brill, 2009), 49. 5. Celia Schultz, Womens Religious Activity in the Roman Republic (Chapel Hill, NC:University of North Carolina Press, 2006), 32. 6. Olivier Hekster,. "Reversed Epiphanies: Roman Emperors Deserted by Gods." Mnemosyne (2010): 610. 7. Richard Woff, A Pocket Dictionary of Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses ( Los Angeles, Calif.: Getty Publications, 2003), 39. 8. Jorg Rüpke, "Roman Gods: A Conceptual Approach." Journal of Religion in Europe, (2010), 317. 9. Woff, A Pocket Dictionary of Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses, 40. 10. Lipka, Roman Gods a Conceptual Approach, 50. 11. Gabucci, Rome, 40 12. Rüpke, Roman Gods: A Conceptual Approach, 319 13. Gabucci, Rome, 28 14. Gabucci, Rome, 44 Bibliography: Gabucci, Ada. Rome. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press, 2006. Top of Form Bottom of Form Curran, John R. Pagan City and Christian Capital Rome in the Fourth Century. Oxford: Clarendon Press ;, 2000. Top of Form Bottom of Form Lipka, Michael. Roman Gods a Conceptual Approach. Leiden: Brill, 2009. Top of Form Bottom of Form Schultz, Celia E. Womens Religious Activity in the Roman Republic. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2006. Top of Form Bottom of Form Woff, Richard. A Pocket Dictionary of Greek and Roman Gods and Goddesses. Los Angeles, Calif.: Getty Publications, 2003. Top of Form Bottom of Form Rüpke, Jörg. "Roman Gods: A Conceptual Approach." Journal of Religion in Europe, 2010, 317-18. Top of Form Bottom of Form Hekster, Olivier. "Reversed Epiphanies: Roman Emperors Deserted by Gods." Mnemosyne, 2010, 601-15. Top of Form Bottom of Form Heever, Gerhard Van Den. "Redescribing Graeco-Roman Antiquity: On Religion and History of Religion." Religion and Theology, 2006, 211-38. Read More