Religion in ancient Rome

Religion in ancient Rome comprised the rituals, priesthoods, sacred places, and divine cults through which Romans maintained relations with gods and organized civic and household life.

Roman sacrifice: The offering of animals, food, or other goods to Roman deities through prescribed ritual acts. Sacrifice was a central public means of honoring gods and seeking their favor.
Pax deorum: The favorable relationship between the Roman community and its gods, sustained through correct ritual observance. Maintaining this divine accord was a central purpose of public rites.
Roman foundation myth: The legendary account of Rome’s origins, centered on Romulus and Remus and the founding of the city. Foundation legends explained Rome’s sacred beginnings and its ties to the gods.
Roman triumph: A public procession celebrating a victorious Roman commander, authorized as a religious and civic ceremony. Triumphs displayed victory as a gift from the gods and reinforced Rome’s public cults.
Christianity in the Roman Empire: The development and spread of Christian communities within the Roman Empire from the first century onward. Christian refusal of traditional sacrifices brought believers into conflict with civic religious expectations.
Roman augury: The interpretation of signs, especially birds’ behavior, to determine whether the gods approved a proposed action. Magistrates and commanders consulted auspices before major public decisions.
Pontifex maximus: The chief priest of Rome’s pontifical college and a leading authority on public religious law. The office stood at the center of the state’s religious administration.
Numa Pompilius: The legendary second king of Rome, traditionally credited with establishing major priesthoods and religious rites. Roman tradition attributed the organization of early cults to Numa.
Roman military religion: The religious practices and cults maintained by Roman soldiers and military communities. Military rites sought divine protection and carried Roman cult practices across the empire.
Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire: Episodes of Roman state coercion against Christians, varying in scale and intensity across time and place. These conflicts exposed the political consequences of rejecting public cult obligations.

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