Paganism and Vestal Virgins

962 Words2 Pages

The Romans, originally called the Latins after the volcanic plain were they lived, were founded around 753BCE after the battle across the seven hills on the Tiber. The battle was fought between twin brothers Romulus and Remus, ending in the defeat of Remus (Duiker). Religion played a huge role in the daily life of Rome, the state religion lasting between 200BCE-250CE (“Roman Religion”). Temples to worship the gods were built throughout the Roman Empire and family houses would also have a small altar and shrine. The Roman religion was a mixture of fragmented rituals, taboos, superstitions, and traditions that they collected over the years from a number of sources. The Roman gods and goddess were a blend of several religious influences. Many of the gods and goddess were introduced through the Greek colonies of southern Italy; others had roots in old religions of the Etruscans or Latin tribes (“Roman Religion”). Roman authorities were generally tolerant of the dietes and religious practices of Empire subjects and tried to foster loyalty to the empire by merging these gods and goddess into the Roman Pantheon (Overfield). Normally all the Romans would require was that the various cults not threaten public order or morality. Cults like Bacchism, Celts Druid and Christianity were seen as violating all norms of social behavior and threatened the stability of Roman rule (Overfield). It was not until the rule of Constantine that Christianity was accepted. This Essay will explore the two religious practices, Vestal Virgins and Roman devotees of the cult of Isis, describing their religious life before Constantine’s conversion.
To begin with before Constantine’s rule one of the popular religions to join was the Isis cult. When the Isis cult ...

... middle of paper ...

...eligious practices. Christianity affected not only the Roman Empire but many other countries as well, altering their practices and making way for worship in the present day.

Works Cited

Duiker, William J. and Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History to 1800. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.
Halsall, Paul. Ancient History Sourcebook. Fordham University, 1998. Web. 15 November 2013.
Lutwyche, Jayne. Ancient Rome’s Maidens-Who Were the Vestal Virgins? BBC, 7 September 2012. Web. 15 November 2013.
Overfield, Andrea. The Human Record. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009. Print.
“Roman Religion.” Roman-Empire. N.P, N.D. Web. 15 November 2013.
“The Cult of Isis.” UNRV History. N.P, N.D. Web. 15 November 2013.
“Vestal Virgins of Rome: The Price Of Civic Duty and Privilege.” Ancient History encyclopedia, 18 January 2012. Web. 15 November 2013.

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