Religion
Religion was a very important role in the daily life of the Romans. The Romans believed in many different gods and goddesses, demigods, and spirits. The Roman gods were part of a family. Each god had a special festival.. This holiday gave people the opportunity to visit the temple for whichever god was being celebrated. At the temple, priests would sacrifice animals and offer them to the god. The Romans thought of themselves as really religious. Each temple was dedicated to a specific god. There were gods of all aspects of life.
Each home had a small altar and shrine. The Romans had personal household gods or spirits called 'ares which were worshipped every day at home. The shrine contained statues of the lares (gods of the household that was worshipped). The service was considered so important that family slaves were also invited.
The Roman religion wasn't private like the Greeks, it was public. New religions became popular in the Roman world like the cult of a Greek god, the cult of an Egyptian God, the religion of Mithras, and later, Christianity.
Each home had a small altar and shrine. The Romans had personal household gods or spirits called 'ares which were worshipped every day at home. The shrine contained statues of the lares (gods of the household that was worshipped). The service was considered so important that family slaves were also invited.
The Roman religion wasn't private like the Greeks, it was public. New religions became popular in the Roman world like the cult of a Greek god, the cult of an Egyptian God, the religion of Mithras, and later, Christianity.
The coming of Christ
Rome was the first empire in history to declare Christianity. When Christianity first became popular, he was seen as a threat to law and order. Christianity was made illegal but its popularity spread. Romans thought of feeding Christians to lions as entertainment. The message of Christianity was spread around the Roman Empire by St. Paul who found churches in Greece. Emperor Constantine 1 became the first Christian emperor after seeing a vision during a battle. Constantine made Christianity legal. Later, Christianity became the official religion of Rome
Rome was the first empire in history to declare Christianity. When Christianity first became popular, he was seen as a threat to law and order. Christianity was made illegal but its popularity spread. Romans thought of feeding Christians to lions as entertainment. The message of Christianity was spread around the Roman Empire by St. Paul who found churches in Greece. Emperor Constantine 1 became the first Christian emperor after seeing a vision during a battle. Constantine made Christianity legal. Later, Christianity became the official religion of Rome
Afterlife
The Ancient Romans believed in the afterlife. They believed that when a person died, they are met by Mercury and taken to the Styx River. There they had to pay a fee to cross the river to be judged.
However, the ancient Romans did not believe in eternal condemnation. Therefore, after he or she was judged he was sent either to the Fields of Elysium if he or she was a warrior or other type of hero, or to the Plain of Asphodel, if he or she was an ordinary citizen. But if that person was judged to have committed a crime against society, they would have been sent to Tartarus to be tortured by the Furies until such time as their debt to society was deemed to have been paid in full. When that time was over, they are released.
In order to prepare the dead person for the afterlife, the ancient Romans buried their loved ones with a variety of artifacts. The most important thing to include was a coin on the body with which the soul would pay Charon, the ferryman, for passage across the river Styx. Other objects that were put with the dead person included food, cosmetics, and jewelry. The sarcophagus or coffin was usually decorated with images of the person who died. The ancient Romans believed that it was very important that their loved ones have a proper burial so they wouldn't be denied entrance into the underworld and instead spend eternity with punishments.
The Ancient Romans believed in the afterlife. They believed that when a person died, they are met by Mercury and taken to the Styx River. There they had to pay a fee to cross the river to be judged.
However, the ancient Romans did not believe in eternal condemnation. Therefore, after he or she was judged he was sent either to the Fields of Elysium if he or she was a warrior or other type of hero, or to the Plain of Asphodel, if he or she was an ordinary citizen. But if that person was judged to have committed a crime against society, they would have been sent to Tartarus to be tortured by the Furies until such time as their debt to society was deemed to have been paid in full. When that time was over, they are released.
In order to prepare the dead person for the afterlife, the ancient Romans buried their loved ones with a variety of artifacts. The most important thing to include was a coin on the body with which the soul would pay Charon, the ferryman, for passage across the river Styx. Other objects that were put with the dead person included food, cosmetics, and jewelry. The sarcophagus or coffin was usually decorated with images of the person who died. The ancient Romans believed that it was very important that their loved ones have a proper burial so they wouldn't be denied entrance into the underworld and instead spend eternity with punishments.
Death and Burial
The Romans believed that it was important to have a proper funerals and burials so that the cruel spirit wouldn't rise from the underworld. There were five parts to a Roman funeral:
1. Procession: The funeral procession was marked by the movement of the bodies and the loud noise it generated. The wealthier Romans had more flashy funerals with musicians and for the poor, a few flute players would play music. Professional mourners are really important in the procession. They were usually women. They would wail loudly, rip their hair out, and scratch their faces.
2. Burial: In the mid-2nd century AD, the body was taken to the necropolis (a cemetery) and put into a funeral pyre. It was burned and the remaining bones and teeth were put into a funerary urn.
Later on, the Romans had a more preferred method. The body would be put inside a coffin, called a sarcophagus. This method was hardly used.
3. Eulogy: If the person who died was a important person or if he or she made a strong impression on his or her family, the family would offer a eulogy at the funeral.
4. Feast: No funeral was complete unless there was a ritual feast at the end of it. The feast was the final mark that told the person who died that he or she can continue on the underworld and the family was able to move forward.
5. Commemoration: Once the body was buried or cremated, the person still had to be remembered. The Romans set certain days each year to remember the loved ones, including Parentalia, held from February 13 to 21, to honour the family's ancestors. The family of the dead person believed that they had to gather around his or her tomb and make an offering.
The Romans believed that it was important to have a proper funerals and burials so that the cruel spirit wouldn't rise from the underworld. There were five parts to a Roman funeral:
1. Procession: The funeral procession was marked by the movement of the bodies and the loud noise it generated. The wealthier Romans had more flashy funerals with musicians and for the poor, a few flute players would play music. Professional mourners are really important in the procession. They were usually women. They would wail loudly, rip their hair out, and scratch their faces.
2. Burial: In the mid-2nd century AD, the body was taken to the necropolis (a cemetery) and put into a funeral pyre. It was burned and the remaining bones and teeth were put into a funerary urn.
Later on, the Romans had a more preferred method. The body would be put inside a coffin, called a sarcophagus. This method was hardly used.
3. Eulogy: If the person who died was a important person or if he or she made a strong impression on his or her family, the family would offer a eulogy at the funeral.
4. Feast: No funeral was complete unless there was a ritual feast at the end of it. The feast was the final mark that told the person who died that he or she can continue on the underworld and the family was able to move forward.
5. Commemoration: Once the body was buried or cremated, the person still had to be remembered. The Romans set certain days each year to remember the loved ones, including Parentalia, held from February 13 to 21, to honour the family's ancestors. The family of the dead person believed that they had to gather around his or her tomb and make an offering.