Ancient Roman Religion and Mythology

Geography of Ancient Rome

• Rome is located in modern-day Italy, in Southern Europe.
• The city started on seven hills near the Tiber River's end.
• Rome became the capital of one of history's largest empires, known today as "ancient Rome."

Physical Features of Italy

• Italy is a peninsula, a landform mostly surrounded by water.
• The Italian Peninsula resembles a high-heeled boot on the map of Europe.
• The country includes islands like Sicily and Sardinia.
• Mountains and hills dominate Italy's landscape.
  • The Alps, Europe's highest range, border Italy to the north.
  • The Apennines run across Italy's peninsula center.
• Rivers flow down from the mountains, including the Po, Arno, and Tiber.

Rome's Geography Affect on the Romans

• Rome's location by freshwater and Italy's warm climate enabled crop growth.
• Hills, mountains, and seas acted as natural shields, making Rome harder to invade.
• The Mediterranean Sea provided Roman access to trade routes and other civilizations beyond the Tiber River.

Who Were the Romans

• Ancient Rome included more than the city and the Italian Peninsula.
• Ancient Rome eventually covered about 2 million square miles across parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia.
• Regions were divided into provinces, managed by a Roman governor.
• People from locations like Greece, Gaul (France), Spain, Britain, Egypt, North Africa, Asia Minor, Syria, and Mesopotamia were considered "Romans."

Maximum Span of Ancient Rome

• At its height, the Roman Empire comprised all or parts of 47 modern-day countries.

Religions of Ancient Rome

• Ancient Rome was home to different religions practiced in its provinces.
• Romans believed in polytheism, worshiping many gods influenced by Greek mythology.
• Followers tried to please gods through prayers, sacrifices, temples, and festivals.
• Monotheism, the belief in one god, grew more common due to Judaism and Christianity.

Influence of Roman Mythology and Greece

• Greeks set up colonies in southern Italy and Sicily during the 700s BCE, encountering the Romans.
• Romans adopted Greek gods and created their versions, even before conquering Greece in 146 BCE.
• The three most important gods were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.
  • Zeus became Jupiter.
  • Hera became Juno.
  • Athena became Minerva.
  • Ares became Mars.
  • Poseidon became Neptune.
  • Hades became Pluto.
  • Hestia became Vesta.
  • Artemis became Diana.
  • Aphrodite became Venus.
  • Hermes became Mercury.
  • Dionysus became Bacchus.
  • Apollo became Apollo.
  • Hephaestus became Vulcan.

Importance of Mythology to the Romans

• Romans used mythology to explain history and highlight their city's greatness.
• A legend involves the founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus.
  • The twins were abandoned on the Tiber River due to being threats to someone who overthrew their grandfather to become king.
  • A wolf rescued them, and shepherds adopted them. – The brothers helped their grandfather regain the throne after a conflict.
  • Romulus and Remus decided to then create their own city but had an argument over the build location.
  • Romulus killed Remus, named the city Rome, and became its first king.
• Romulus and Remus were said to be descendants of Aeneas, a Trojan warrior who settled in Italy post-Troy's destruction.

Religion Among Provinces

• Some provinces, such as Judea in Southwest Asia, disagreed with Roman religious ideas.
• Roman's official religion was polytheism, with emperors also considered gods.
• The Jews believed in only one god.
• Rome conquered Judea, including Jerusalem, in 63 BCE.
  • Most Jews were upset over losing their autonomy.
• Romans angered Jews by building statues of their gods and emperors on holy Jerusalem sites.
• The Romans collected many taxes from the Jews but did not use the funds to improve Judea, leaving many in poverty.

Judea's Response to Rome

• Jews launched several rebellions against the Romans called the "Roman-Jewish Wars," including the Great Revolt (66 - 73 CE) and the Bar Kokhba (132 - 136 CE).
• The Romans won both wars, causing many deaths and severely punishing the surviving Jews.
  • The Roman army burned the Second Temple, Jerusalem's most sacred place, and stole valuables to display in Rome.
  • Jerusalem faced major destruction post-conflicts.
  • Many Jews were enslaved and sent to Rome, forced to fight as gladiators or work on projects like the Colosseum.

Consequences of the Roman-Jewish Wars

• Emperor Hadrian made policies post the Roman-Jewish wars to eliminate Judaism.
  • All Jews were forced to leave Jerusalem and live elsewhere.
  • Jews were forbidden from entering Jerusalem except once a year.
  • The Torah, Judaism's holy book, and the Hebrew calendar were banned.
  • A temple dedicated to Jupiter was built on the Second Temple's former site.
  • Jerusalem was rebuilt and named Aelia Capitolina after Hadrian's family.
  • Judea was renamed Syria Palaestina, named after the Philistines.

Origins of Christianity

• Christianity developed around 30 CE from Jesus of Nazareth's teachings.
• The religion evolved from Judaism, with followers of both faiths practicing monotheism.
• A split is that Christians see Jesus as the Messiah and God in human form, while Jews disagree.
• A messiah is a figure that Jews and Christians believe was chosen to save their people and bring peace.
• Jesus in Christianity is known as Jesus Christ, with "Christ" being the Greek word for Messiah.

Traditional Christianity Teachings

• Christian beliefs and teachings are recorded in the Bible.
• The Bible's major sections are the Old and New Testaments.
  • The Old Testament mostly aligns with Judaism's Hebrew Bible.
  • The New Testament contains writings about Jesus and early Christianity's history.
• The Gospels, the first four NT books, describe Jesus's life and teachings.
• Most other New Testament books are epistles - letters from Jesus's followers to early churches, explaining Christian beliefs.

Who Was Jesus of Nazareth?

• Nearly all information on Jesus comes from the Bible
• Scholars place his birth in Bethlehem between 6 - 4 BCE.
• Jesus grew up in Nazareth and initially worked as a carpenter.
• He became a minister around age 30 and began teaching about God in Galilee, located between modern-day Israel and Lebanon.

Jesus's Ministry

• Jesus spent about three years traveling from Galilee to Judea, spreading his message about the Kingdom of God.
• The Bible says Jesus performed miracles, which led some to believe he was the Messiah.
  • Miracles consist of walking on water, healing illnesses, and feeding a large crowd with only five loaves of bread and two fish.
• The Gospels show Jesus teaching through parables, short stories that presented essential lessons about values and behavior.
• One parable is the Good Samaritan who explains to show love and compassion to everyone, including rivals and enemies
• Jesus gradually gained followers and named twelve people as Apostles, his closest companions and the first to spread Christianity after his death.
  • One of these Apostles, Peter, became the first leader of the Christian Church.

Opposition to Jesus and his Teachings

• Many Jewish religious leaders disagreed with Jesus's teachings and the growing belief that he was the Messiah and son of God.
• Jesus was arrested in Jerusalem during Passover for dispelling money changes, animal sellers, and customers at the Second Temple.
• Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, ordered Jesus to be executed by crucifixion.
  • Crucifixion was a common Roman execution method, where a person to be executed would be nailed to a cross and left to die.
• Christians believe that Jesus came back to life post-crucifixion in the resurrection
• Jesus revealed himself to his Apostles and directed them to continue his teachings before going to Christian afterlife

Christianity's Core Religious Beliefs

Three Core Concepts of Christianity

• Jesus stated that the most important commandments from the Hebrew Bible were to love God and one's neighbors. Christians are taught to love the sick, the poor, the outcasts, and even enemies.
• Jesus sacrificed his life and Christians believe if they faithfully follow Jesus and his teachings while repenting from their sins, their spirits will join God in Heaven.
• Christians believe in a concept called the Trinity, in which God exists in three forms, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God the father created Earth and the universe and Jesus, the son, is God incarnated as human and the Holy Spirit is God's presence on Earth and in people's lives.

How Christianity Spread

• Starting with the Apostles the teachings of Jesus began to spread amongst the Jews
• Paul A Jewish Man contributed to spreading Christianity in Rome by establishing churches and teaching Christian ideas beyond Judea
• The Roman Government at the time saw Paul and other Christians as a threat, because their teachings threatened the status of traditional Roman Gods and worship of the Emperors
• Roman officials persecuted Christians at times over the centuries - Persecution is described as mistreating and punishing a group of people for their beliefs
• One Roman Emperor named Constantine converted to Christianity in 312 BCE; He then made the Edict of Milan in 313 ECE which legally recognized the religion and ended the persecuting of Christians, Consantine organized a convention to discuss religious ideas to find consistence among all churches.

Achievements of Ancient Rome

• A Roman Emperor Named Theodosis made Christianity the official religion of Rome in 380CE

Major Achievement in Rome

• Romans built a network of roads that covered 50,000 miles, 80,000 km, all throughout the empire
• Tunnel and bridges were also built to maintain the straight roads that connected cities and forts in different geographical landscapes, ultimately allowing armies to move efficiently, as well as move goods, ideas, and create unity
• The Roads were well paved and well-drained. Some still in use today!

Architectural Achievements

• During this time a Roman Architect believed all buildings executed should account for durability, utility, and beauty.
• Visible today in all Roman Ruins
  • Amphitheatres: Were used for entertainment
  • Aqueducts: Carried water from mountains to the city
  • Public Baths: City pools that featured relaxation and socializing Basilicas: Legal and religious gatherings
  • Temples: Religious buildings inspired by the Greeks
  • Triumphal Arches: Entrance ways that showcased Roman Power
  • Homes: Which has frescos and gardens, those of the poorer residents lived in apartments
  • Walls: Used mostly for war defense

Art Achievements

• Art included sculptures, paintings, and mosaics
• Since the Roman Empire was so large there was a range in the style of art in different parts of the empire
• The Romans showed flaws in their art instead of making it flawless, as they copied sculptures

Langauge of Rome

• Latin first Spoken along the Tiber River, the language then spread to become official language of Rome
• From the latin spoken, the Romance language was then developed; French Italian Spanish, Rominian
• Used in churches, European Education and to name animals

Achievements Literature

• Plutarch was a writer of leaders from Greece and Rome
• Pliny then wrote an encyclopedias called Natural History
• Juvenal: a Roman poet who wrote satire poems
• Poetry by Virgil, Horace, Ovid
• Astronomy Ptolemy created a system of an earth-centered universe, Earth controlled the movement of the universe
• Cicero and Julius was speakers
• Seneca focused on self-improvement and living just life
• Claudius Galen Was a doctor and surgeon who served in the Roman Empire

Politics of Ancient Rome

• The Roman government evolved over time and can be organized into three main phases : Rome Kingdom, Roman Republic, and Roman Empire

What happened in the Roman Kingdom

• It was believed that around 753 BCE, the Roman Kingdom was founded by Romulus, more modern research notes that this is inaccurate.
• The early Kings controlled the army, led building project for Rome, and also chief priest and a judge in Legal matters
• There was a total of seven kings who ruled Rome
  • The seventh king being Tarquin the Proud, who was a cruel member that ruled for 25 years
  • Later overthrown by groups of roman nobles
  • Establishing Rome Republic

Rome's Early Republics

• A Republic- A government where people who have the opportunity to elect leadres who govern them
• The ROman republic suffered from both war and isatbility in its early years- Temporary dictators were selected and had the power
• Citizens of Rome believed there would rise a farmer who was a dictator that had the victory of war before is resigned and returned to his farm

Confilcts also Arose because

• There was conflict cause of Roman division in two groups; patricians were powerful wealthy nobles and plebeians who were common people.
• Eventually plebians went on strike and formed their own councils

Governing the Roman Republic

• The Roman Republics had three government: Senate, Magistrates,Assemblies and TIbunes; Each had its own tasks
  • the Senate were each members of the Senate who met to influence the consuls
  • Magistrates- Were elected offcials that had different branchs - Senate would created a new law if then Senate needed to approve it and then sign for it to become a law
  • Roman law belived in the rule of law, everyone even thoose in power should fallow it
  • The law eventually had to get written down on bronze tablets due to frustartion

Citizenship

• only citizens could vote and particpate In Roman Republic
• Women and Enslaver couldnt participate in Rome
• Citizenship recieved at birth as males
• Citizens could get married and own propety, also recieve trail and rune form office

Falling Apart

• The romans fight the Carthaginian city over series of conflicts, The Punic War the romans had gained control of the wars, however, they killed enslaved pop
  • Continued in new terretories
• The roman had more and the itizens new problems emgered which caused conflict

Julias Caser

• The Julias Caesar was a talemred Commander who expanded Roman territory
• Gaul- France Germany and northern Italy and Britin
• Pompay and friends ordered Cesar to give op His aRmues; Cesar was at the t time
• Later Julis ended up expanding Romans new power

Returning to Rome

• After Caesars return h made forces Senate
• Julias then ordered to have his term of the senate be extended

Roman were then afarird Cesaer

• Caesar had love and was respected by many

Who Come After Power

• The Roman came after csears and planned his
• Julius Octavias, a roman senator gained the seat through military alliance

How Did Emperors Start

• The Emperor Had a rise of power starting in 27BCE
• Augustus has given the rise of the Roman power

What Was Pex Romana?

• Roman Was an empire that has had a span of 200 years that started during Augustus rule
• Different leaders and governors were transfered and citizenship all expanded because the number of being taxed spreaded
• All throughout the empire a the military was organized leading no more wars and rebellions

What Happened in Western Roman Empire

• The empire then reached its maximum, following this the emperors had begun change and start Rome

• The Roman then then spread leading weaker emperors to start the Empire Commodus.

• Imperial Crisis: A three part breakdown to follow which led a lack of roman citizenship, and a change in the government

• Emperor Constantine split Rome in half selecting a co emperor leading The East And West

  • Constantined reunited however moved Constantinople from Rome,

How Did Rome Fall?

• Over time Roman territory had expanded further leading difficulty maintaining borders and outside defence was no longer feasible
• Since the Romans now needed increase the army the taxes per citizen where made more
• The numbers for soldiers where raised however food intake in Rome was now an issu
• Invasions, corruption and military power led to all instability.
  • The final leading impact of the Roman Empire was the destruction of Roman

Economically Roman

• Agriculture was the most important and farmers were expanding wheat olives and grapes

• Many slaves and new territory made room for new food in the city However it got to the point where citizens didn't have enough food to intake and taxes where rising because it caused new areas and military action to grow

Traditional Societies of Rome

What were the traditional roles in the ancient Roman families?, Was a home where people used ancestors to trace back there roots!

Was slavery a common way of life in Roman society

• Solders enslaved people and traders by force

What was the role of the military in Roman society

• A form of protection as well as spreading the news for roman

What were some common social interactions

• The forum played a big role in citizen meetings government buildings religious temples and a big marker place

Explore ancient Roman religious practices, their adaptation of Greek mythology, and the role of mythology in shaping Roman identity. Also covers the decline of the Roman Republic.