Ancient Roman religion was based on complex beliefs. The belief system held that gods were personifications or forces of various places and powers that controlled the human condition and provided salvation for the afterlife. This belief required that animals be sacrificed. We will be discussing some of the major beliefs and practices of ancient Roman religion in this article.
Roman gods were representations of forces and places by the Roman gods
In Roman mythology of the ancient Romans, gods represented different places and forces. These forces and places were known as dias. They were associated to different powers and virtues. Acis was, for example, the god of Acis River in Sicily. Di inferi was another name for deities, which were associated to death. Those associated with wealth and prosperity included Di Pater, which was the Greek word for plouton. Empanda, the goddess for need, and Epona the Gallo-Roman horse god were two other deities. These gods were worshipped at temples and were personified as goddesses. They were also associated with fertility and other aspects of life.
They were believed to have the power to control people's existence
Ancient Romans believed in many deities, but they were mostly associated with a select few major deities. The state worshipped Jupiter, Juno, Mars, and Apollo, while individuals worshiped other gods. These were Serapis, an Egyptian god who is associated with magic and nature, Mater Matuta (an indigenous Latin goddess), and Silvanus, which are deities of the fields and woods. Because there is no written scripture, people can think of their gods or deities in many different ways.
They provided salvation for the afterlife
While ancient Romans believed in the afterlife, they did not believe in eternal damnation. In their belief system, the soul of the dead lived in the underworld kingdoms of Orcus and Dis Pater/Pluto, sometimes returning as the spirits of Manes or Lemures. Their beliefs about the afterlife were influenced by the Hellenic religion and were not uniform. In the Aeneid, Virgil describes the afterlife in detail.
They wanted to see animals sacrificed
The Ancient Roman religion demanded the sacrifice of animals. The Romans would first consume the entrails, then burn the bones along with other offerings of oil and wine. Blood sacrifices were made for various reasons.
They used rituals in order to keep death and blood at the forefront of public consciousness
The ancient Romans maintained the idea of blood and death at the forefront their public consciousness through rituals. Funerals were marked by a ritual feast, and a ceremony that permitted the spirit of the deceased to go to the underworld. The state also reserved days for grieving the loved ones. This custom, known as "parentalia", was observed from February 13 through 21. Families could also organize their own commemoration days for loved ones.
They practiced augury
The Ancient Romans used Augury to predict the future. It used animal omens as a way to predict the future. Romans used a wide range of birds, including vultures or eagles. In the same way, Native American mythology uses finches as augurs. The American Goldfinch, by example, stands for fertility, celebration, mental alertness, and is therefore a symbol of both fertility and celebration.
They were open for imports of religions
The Ancient Romans were not the most religious people of history but were open to import religions. They worshiped many foreign gods, including the Greek gods of the Greek-speaking Mediterranean region and the Egyptian goddess of fertility. A few gods were also worshiped by the Roman state: Jupiter, Juno Mars, Apollo, and Venus. Individual Romans also worshiped numerous gods, including the Celts' goddess of fertility, Mater Matuta, and the Babylonian goddess Diana. They also worshipped the Egyptian goddess of fertility and the goddess of the woods and fields, Silvanus.