Roman Religion: Fate and Gods
In the Roman world, Fate and the Gods played a huge part in the lives of humans. Roman people believed that Fate predetermined their destiny, and the Gods influenced every area of their lives. They looked to the Gods for both assistance and approval, and because they believed the Gods to have power over every area of daily life, the Romans went to great lengths to gain the favour and approval of the Gods. 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 oppo
Vesta:Vesta was the secondary deity of the home. For example, here is a list of what were seen as the most powerful of the Gods, referred to as the Pantheon:Apollo - god of the arts (especially poetry and music) Bacchus - god of wine and mysteries Ceres - goddess of agriculture and fertility Diana - goddess of the hunt and protector of children Juno - goddess of marriage; consort of Jupiter Jupiter - god of the sky; ruler of the Roman pantheon Mars - god of war Mercury - god of merchants; messenger of the gods Minerva - goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts Neptune - god of the sea and earthquakes Venus - goddess of love and beauty Vulcan - god of smiths and metal-workersIn addition to these twelve, the Roman Gods also included a number of household Gods and Spirits, who would watch over individual households. Through their communication with the Gods, Roman people also felt some level of control over the minor events within their lives. However, one force Roman people had no control over was Fate. Fate, who was believed to be kept by Jupiter, had the power to decide and control every aspect of Roman life. The idea of Fate meant that Romans had no real control over their destiny, but through the interpretations of omens, they believed they were at least able to foresee - to some extent - what fate had in store for them. Similarly the Penates, spirits of the larder, were placed on the table at mealtimes and thanked daily for keeping the family fed. For example, in Virgil's Aeneid, Fate has already decreed that Aeneas will reach Italy and found Rome. However, before being given specific names, roles and genders, the Roman Gods took the form of 'numina' (spirits). Fate is not always just or deserved, and is non-negotiable and unalterable by Gods and humans. Many Roman leaders passed laws and sent armies to war as a result of the interpretation of signs/omens. On the way, however, the actions of the Gods and humans determine what minor events occur during the course of the journey. The Lares were the spirits of family ancestors, and were represented by figurines. They believed that everything was 'possessed' by these numina. She was goddess of the hearth, and as the hearth was important both spiritually (as it was involved in sacrifices) and practically (used for cooking), she was considered very important to Roman homes.
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