In early Rome, the concepts of fate and the roles of the gods dominated the lives of the Roman citizens. They believed that fate predetermined their destiny, and the gods had control over every area of their lives. The Romans looked to the gods for both assistance and approval, and because they believed the gods to had power over every area of their lives, they went to great lengths to gain their favor and approval. However, while Romans generally lived a life of morals, they did not do this in order to please the Gods. The Gods themselves were neither good nor bad and did not seem to be overly concerned with the virtue of their followers. They did not reward good morals, or punish people who did not live moralistically. Instead, people attempted to please the gods by following an elaborate and specific set of rituals, including prayers and sacrifices. These rituals would be carried out within each individual home on a daily basis, and were also a significant part of all religious (for example weddings and funerals) and political ceremonies.
             All prayers and sacrifices had to be carried out in a very specific way in order to gain the favour of the Gods. If some part of the prayer or sacrifice was performed incorrectly, it may have the opposite effect to what was desired, instead offending the God(s), therefore ensuring that the prayer would not be answered. Consequently, it was extremely important to:
             - Choose the right God (in some cases, in order to be sure, people would either mention a long list of Gods, to ensure the right one was listening, or use a phrase similar to 'To whom it may concern")
             - Persuade the God/spirit to help you, which would be done by flattering them, justifying your request and/or making an offering.
             Roman society was polytheistic; they worshipped many gods, who were each delegated one or more areas over which they were in charge. However, before being given specific names, roles and genders, the Ro...