Roman Religion Summary

The patriarch’s power extended not only to his immediate family and children but also slaves and clients who depended on the patron for labor because their small holdings were insufficient for subsistence. He was vested with substantial authority and was believed to possess genius, a protective spirit that brought shelter to the household along with the sprits of ancestors. This veneration of ancestors and respect for patronage was a conservative force that reinforced established power distributions. Custom and religion consolidated the feeling of obligation the client felt towards his protective patron. The poor were disposed to be compliant in their position which furthered the rift between the poor plebian and the rich patrician class,

It plagued their lives with pervasive superstition and a fear of wronging the gods. The repetitious and meticulous rituals they felt indebted to perform start to even resemble in symptomology obsessive compulsive disorder, which is analogously characterized by intense perfectionism and series of configurated actions. There were also many taboos, elements of magic, spells, anthropomorphism, and polytheism submerged beneath the surface of surface of their practical eclectic religion. Their affinity for and magic could grow a bit excessive, and the state did what it could to curb overblown superstition when it wasn’t exploiting it to preserve sociopolitical stability in the state. The Twelve Tables explicitly bared cursing a neighbor’s land, as it was a common practice to hide incanted curse tablets to descend evil upon those disliked. To them the world was magical, and they could take part in its mystery, increasing their luck with charms, amulets, and

In this early time many of the festivals revolved around agriculture, but as the population became urbanized towards the end of the republic the meanings behind ritual were forgotten, but the valued celebrations remained. One such popular festival was Saturnalia, which marked the winter solstice. It entailed sacrifices to the god Saturn, a spirit of goodwill among the people, partying, exchanging of gifts, and the lighting of candles. Social constraints were relaxed for the duration and even slaves could attend the dining table. This gaiety balanced the strict formalism of the religious rites. But, like the policy of bread and circuses of the later Republic, this religious entertainment could also serve the political aim of keeping the people under control. The appeasing spectacle of Gladiatorial games even had its origin in the bloody games of an Etruscan funerary