Research Paper On Roman Religion, Greek Gods

Roman religion is the indigenous religion of the ancient Rome. It was based on the assumption that human destiny is controlled by divine forces and spirits. The first codified mentioning of the Roman religion was registered in the second half of Divine Antiquities containing sixteen books. It gives the information about the first Roman religious institutions such as temples, gods, priests and rituals. Seeming pretty simple on the surface, the term “Roman religion” is yet hard to define. Scholars lay emphasis on festivals and public institutions as a framework for private rituals. The focus shifts with the geographical expansion from being an independent city-state to becoming an empire with territories from Scotland to Syria. Thus, two controversial tendencies rise: influence of the Roman beliefs outside Rome and religious impact on Rome within the borders of the country.
The earliest period of Roman religion is characterized by predominance of three major gods: Jupiter, Mars and Quirinus. Some scholars support the assertion about the role of women in a canvas of Roman religion but deny the fact about its systematic nature. A. Staples supports the idea with a statement that “because they were set apart from the collectivity and could not represent any single ritual category, they were able to represent the whole”1. Thus, women in the Roman religion take a special place.
According to various sources Romans did not refuse the existence of other religions and gods adopting the last ones in their own pantheon. During four centuries from the 7th BC till the 3d BC influence of Greek culture could be vividly traced as the old Roman deities were equated with the Greek gods and accordingly endowed with their attributes and myths.2 This research is aimed to draw a parallel between Jupiter, Minerva, Ceres and Venus in Roman mythology and corresponding Zeus, Athena, Aphrodite and Demeter in the Greek one.
In spite of the Greek world being so diverse with different approach to the divine subject and multicultural communities, it became possible to create a common religious system. It took a long period of time to form a pantheon, some elements of which can be traced to the Indo-European origin. Several sources have compiled the Greek religion including a strong eastern influence and Hesiod’s “Theogony”. Hesiod was claimed to give Greek pantheon the final anthropomorphic look.
Pantheon was the central part of the Greek religion. Some deities could possess different characteristics that could vary from region to region, but the main pattern included twelve gods also known as Olympians derived from the Mountain Olympus – their traditional home. The twelve complied Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon and Zeus.
Zeus - in Greek religion is the main and only one deity whose Indo-European origin is undisputable. The root of his name is derived from ‘dieu’ meaning ‘day’ as opposed to night. Advent of his cult is ascribed to the Bronze Age. In the Indo-European theology Zeus was worshiped as the god of bright sky. Later we see how this vision transforms into Zeus – the god of weather who takes his place on the top of the mountain Olympus. Zeus was believed to rule thunder, to cause rain and to strike with lightning.
His figure in the ancient Greek mythology is full of contradictions: being a representative of law and justice he at the same time gained his position through violent revolution. According to the myths of the archaic Greeks Zeus continued the succession of family depositions – he took hold of his father’s Cronus throne, who earlier had deposed his father Uranus. Zeus strengthened his power having fought the monster and the Giants. He drew up the present-day order, empowering each of his divine satellites in one of the spheres: the sea, the underworld and the cosmos were allotted to his brothers and human world was put under the reign of his sisters and children. Thus, Zeus took domain over both – human and divine world.
One of the most important concepts is that Zeus is seen as a king, not as a tyrant. He is a picture of right and justice – any violation of his divine order is considered as injustice punished severely if necessary. Zeus spreads his special protection under the earthly kings who take who adopt him as their benefactor. Zeus himself is always committed to her Majesty Fate.
Finally, being subjected to the Fate on the one hand, and being the most powerful god of the other, Zeus has one more prominent function regardless time and space: he is a protector and savior. He receives prayers and dedications from the earthlings to shield them from crisis, wars, nature disasters, political troubles.
Demeter is a Greek goddess – a parallel to Ceres in Roman mythology. Her name consists of two parts: earth and mother. The thing is that the ancient Greeks had a separate deity for Earth and only some time later Demeter became a part of the pantheon as a sister of Zeus. Talking about Demeter one could not but mention Persephone – her daughter by Zeus. At spring and autumn she brings joy on the Earth, and in winter months spends time as a wife of her uncle Hade – the king of the Underworld. Demeter and Persephone are known to have had the most influence on the development of the civilization.3 Demeter is the goddess of crops and vegetation, she is the one who sustains life for human and animal world. Being a reign of agriculture and growth Demeter was regarded as one of the driving factors for civilizations to grow and strengthen. The Greek calendar was linked with seasonal activities such as sowing, ploughing, reaping and storing the crop. Many festivals were devoted to Demeter held by women only and being a strict secret. In Arcadia that is Central Peloponnese Demeter was worshiped with Poseidon. It was also said that both Demeter Erinys of Thelpusa and the Black Demeter could take the form of a mare and mate with Poseidon in horse shape, and at Phigaleia she was shown as horse-headed. Indifferent sources say that their offspring were Despoina and the horse Arion. At Phigaleia she is considered to be one of the reasons of a universal famine because of her anger both with Poseidon and over the loss of her daughter.
Athena is another controversial goddess in the Greek mythology. Homer describes her as a woman who took off the finely-wrought robe which she had made and worked at with her own hands and aimed herself for grievous war. This passage portrays a twofold nature of the Greek goddess – she comprised the roles of a male the warrior and a female - a domestic goddess. Athena is a female counterpart of Ares.4 In the masculine world she is associated with the one who helps males on the battlefields. The goddess takes a place beside her favorite. To top it off, Athena is the patron of Athens named after her. This masculine woman who will never experience childbirth as a feminine experience is worshipped for her wisdom. A legend says that she was born from the Zeus’s head, thus being very close to her father from childhood. However, on the other hand, being torn away from her mother averts her from natural femininity.
Aphrodite is the first divine female who has taken anthropomorphic form. Being a daughter of Zeus and Diona, born from the genitals of Uranus, she comprises all the qualities of the first woman – Pandora. Aphrodite is a picture of desire and violence, tension and appeasement, she charmingly seduces, procreates and deceives.5 Greeks worship Aphrodite throughout the whole country. Temples are built and festivals are held to celebrate the goddess’ presiding over sexuality and reproduction necessary for community. Thus, in many cities young girls who were going to marry had to make a sacrifice to Aphrodite so that their first sexual experience might be benignant. The goddess was the protector of women and there was no place for men except for taking part in her cults. In addition, Aphrodite acts as deity of civic harmony and concord.
Thus, the Roman religion was experiencing great influence of the Greek culture during three centuries. Being tolerant and open to new tendencies they easily adopted the main Greek deities creating parallels between Romans and Greeks. In this research four major figures have been examined: Zeus – the central god, Demeter – his sister and deity of agriculture, Athena – his militant daughter and Aphrodite – his daughter and goddess of sensual love.

Notes

Staples, A. Women in Roman Religion: From Good Goddess to Vestal Virgins. Sex and Category in Roman Religion. (Cambridge University press, 1999), p. 132.
Ibid., p. 132.
Leeming D. & J. Page. Goddess: Myths of the Female Divine. (Oxford University Press, 1994), p. 56
Kathleen N. Daly. Greek and Roman mythology A-Z. (New York, 2004), p.18.
Rose, H.J. Ancient Roman religion. (New York: Harper, 1959), p.53.

Bibliography

Kathleen N. Daly. Greek and Roman mythology A-Z. New York, 2004.
Leeming D. & J. Page. Goddess: Myths of the Female Divine. Oxford University
Press, 1994.
Rose, H.J. Ancient Roman religion. New York: Harper, 1959.
Staples, A. Women in Roman Religion: From Good Goddess to Vestal Virgins. Sex and
Category in Roman Religion. Cambridge University press, 1999.