Roman Religion
The life of a Roman citizen was centered upon religion. Religion to the Romans was a very public and civil affair. "We Romans" said Cicero "owe our supremacy over all other peoples to our piety and religious observances and our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything (Cowell 180.)" Rome acquired many beliefs through cultural diffusion. As Rome conquered territories and nations, the beliefs of the conquered people would fuse with the Roman beliefs. Romans would not suppress a god or belief of the conquered people for fear that the God suppressed would curse the empire. Romans saw religion as a duty to the state and to the community, not for the love of gods or the willingness to surrender themselves to the gods. The Roman state religion was the supreme religion of the empire. The state religion allowed all other religions to be practiced as long as the belief did not interfere with the state beliefs. Many eastern religions and practices were widely accepted by Roman soldiers and poorer classes because it offered personal salvation no matter what social status one belonged to. The eastern religions did not conflict with Roman beliefs either. Christianity and Jud
Romans saw religion as a duty to the state and to the community, not for the love of gods or the willingness to surrender themselves to the gods. Osiris was the god of the underworld and often in Roman beliefs thought to be the spouse of Isis. The political stand point of Rome was to not allow any religion to practice without recognizing the Roman State religion as the foremost important religion. Isis was the mother goddess of the earth. Mithra was thought to be the savior of the poor because no matter what the class of a subject, the subject would be treated as an equal. Everyday life consisted of the practice of trying to appease the god or goddesses one believed in. However, any religion that conflicted with Roman belief was denounced and not allowed. After Constantine declared Christianity as the empire's religion, Mithraism only stayed around for a couple of decades. aism were not accepted by the state because the beliefs associated with Christianity and Judaism required a subject to renounce all other gods and beliefs of former religions. The eastern religions did not conflict with Roman state belief either and for that fact many people accepted these beliefs. Many farmers and lower class people fell victim to fortunetellers and astrologists for the hope of their future being predicted. Within this religion followers were thought to receive immortality of the soul, and the resurrection of the body through the belief in Mithra. Religious practices and beliefs ruled a Roman's life throughout each day.
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