Roman Religion

1. Roman Religion By Sierra Geisler and Jessica Mattson

2. Religion in Everyday Life Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend of several religions . Many of their views were copied and adapted from other religions. For example, most of the Gods were similar to Greek religions. The Greek gods that they changed often remained of equivalent or similar nature. People would bring sacrifices of food to a temple everyday. Each home had a household god that kept things running at home. Some ancient Romans kept a whole room of their house for a grand display to honor their personal household god. Others had a small statue or shrine somewhere in the kitchen. Whenever the ancient Romans prepared a meal, they ate it in honor of the household god.

3. Sacrifice Gods were believed to watch over and control everything. Sacrifice - the offering of objects or pilgrimage to the gods - formed the principal link between mortals and the beings they worshipped. Nothing played a more integral role in religious practices and beliefs in the ancient world than the sharing and consumption of food. A shallow dish called the Phiale was intended to hold wine or the blood of a slain victim for pouring on the altar. Blood sacrifices were thought to link the human and divine. Sacrificial victims were usually domestic animals such as goats, sheep, pig and oxen. Their flesh would be shared and consumed by the worshipers present at the sacrifice. Families also asked for the blessings of the spirits before any special family event. A portion of every meal was thrown into the fire as an offering. Household slaves were also expected to worship the same spirits as their owners.

4. The Roman Pantheon Jupiter and Juno were the king and queen of the gods and goddesses. Jupiter was in charge of the sky, and was able to control lightning, while Juno was the patron of children, marriage, and the home. The powerful brother of Jupiter, Neptune, was greatly feared by sailors and coastal dwellers because he was thought to control the seas and could cause huge storms. Pluto was another important god who ruled the underworld (hell). The three main parts of the world: the sky, sea, and underworld were divided up between these three brothers.