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in: Hellenic/Roman Paganism

Religio Romana

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Religio Romana is a pagan religion that's dedicated to the gods of classical Rome.

The name of the religion[]

RGM-Köln-Altar

This religion is variously called “Roman paganism”, “Religio Romana”, or “Cultus Deorum”. The latin phrase "cultus deorum" means "cult of the gods". There is a growing trend to prefer the name "Cultus Deorum", because it is what the Romans themselves called their religion.

The word "pagan" was applied in late antiquity to religions as a negative term; it was not used by Romans to refer to their indigenous religious system. The Latin word "religio" resembles the English word "religion", and so some years ago when some english-speaking people tried to come up with a name, it seems that they hit upon “Religio Romana”. That is really a mistranslation that reflects a limited understanding of Latin. The word “religio” has a unique and specialized meaning. It did not mean a religious system, but rather, the belief that the gods are "the benevolent partners of mortals in the management of the world, and that the prescribed rituals [are] the rightly expected counterpart to the help offered by the immortals" (Scheid, An Introduction to Roman Religion, p. 173).

"Cultus deorum" is a phrase that Romans (for example, Cicero, De Natura Deorum II, 71) did use in our sense of “religion”:

"We must revere and worship the gods, and the best religion ("cultus deorum") is the most sacred, the most holy, and the most full of dutifulness, in order to adorn them always with pure, whole, and uncorrupted mind and word. Not only the philosophers, but also our ancestors divided the superstitio from the religio."
(Quos deos et venerari et colere debemus, cultus autem deorum est optumus idemque castissimus atque sanctissimus plenissimusque pietatis, ut eos semper pura integra incorrupta et mente et voce veneremur. Non enim philosophi solum verum etiam maiores nostri superstitionem a religione separaverunt.)

In this quote, we also see Cicero using the term “religio” in the sense mentioned above- that of qualities that are in contrast to superstition, and not a name for the religious system as a whole.

Sometimes, the word "Romanorum" is now added, to specify which “cultus deorum” (cult of the gods) is meant. The latin word "romanoram" means "of the romans". Thus, thus phrase "cultus deorum romanorum" means "cult of the gods of the romans". In antiquity, that would not have been needed. However, in practice, followers of this path often use “cultus deorum”, and call themselves “cultores” (in the plural), or “cultor” or “cultrix” for individual men and women respectively.

Beliefs[]

The Cultus Deorum is usually characterized as orthopraxic, and not orthodoxic. Adherents of orthodoxic religions are expected to sincerely hold a specific belief or set of beliefs. Those beliefs may be summarized in a document that is called a "creed". The Cultus Deorum is a religion that does not have a list of hard-and-fast "beliefs", but has a long and rich tradition of values and practices. It would be wrong to conclude that followers have no beliefs at all, or that they mindlessly perform empty rituals out of a spirit of fear or cynical conservatism. Some followers of the Religio Romana aspire to adopt Roman values, although adaptations to those values may occur to make allowances for changed social realities, but there is no requirement to express or hold a specific creed. 

The Cultus Deorum lacks an "inspired" text, and is generally classified as orthopraxic-only, but adherents share common values, a common culture, and a common body of knowledge about the world and the gods. Although it is an essentially orthopraxic system, the Cultus Deorum was (and is) flexible enough to change over time, and to adapt to the changing needs of the Roman people.

Most adherents broadly agree on these points:

  • The gods exist and are essentially benevolent.
  • A natural relationship unites people with the gods.
  • A human relationship with the gods requires human action.
  • The gods can communicate their will.

Pax Deorum[]

It can be said that the purpose of the Religio Romana is to gain the goodwill of divine forces and establish peace with the gods (the Pax Deorum). The Pax Deorum is established through the carrying out of rituals which demonstrate respect for their power. These rituals generally involve communicating with the gods by the making of offerings (to give thanks and facilitate divine goodwill), as well as by prayers and by vows to make certain offerings.

The will of the gods may be interpreted by the granting (or not) of that which has been prayed for and by, inter alia, observing the natural world, for example, by looking at the behavior of birds and being alert to the occurence of prodigia. Note, however, that superstition, in the form of uncontrolled mysticism, excessive emotional devotion, or a morbid dread of the supernatural, is generally discouraged within the context of the Religio Romana.

Non-Roman Gods and the Interpretatio Romana[]

Followers of the Religio Romana may also venerate gods that are non-Roman in origin- usually gods who were venerated within the Roman empire. Such gods include those that are indigenous to the Greeks, Celts, Germanic tribes, Egyptians, and peoples of the near east. When this occurs, the Interpretatio Romana may in some instances be used to identify or conflate non-Roman gods with Roman deities. For example, the germanic gods Tyr, Woden, and Thor may be identified as Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter respectively.

Reenactors and Reconstructionists[]

There are two groups of people who are very interested in Romans: reenactors and reconstructionists.

Reenactors can be thought of as applied historians, teachers, and experimental archaeologists. Their primary goal is to study Romans in order to present historically accurate portrayals of Roman life, often for the purpose of education. Some reenactors are interested in several different historical periods and so they may be Romans on one weekend and American Civil War soldiers on another. Some of these groups have made appearances in films and documentaries, a tribute to the quality of their scholarship and craftsmanship.

Reconstructionists, on the other hand, use their study to reconstruct Roman culture as a viable modern alternative lifestyle. They form a sincere cultural identification as modern Romans. In other words, they reconstruct in order to adopt Roman cultural identity.

Some reconstructionists are also reenactors, of course, and it is increasingly common to find "mixed" events. Cultores participating in a weekend event might perform sincere lararium rituals in the mornings and then later give public demonstrations, lectures, or workshops on the lararium and lararium rituals. There are various aspects of Roman culture, broadly speaking, that are of interest to both groups. For reconstructionists, these things can serve as a reminder and reinforcement of who we are (or who we are becoming). In fact, it is often difficult to say where religion (the Cultus Deorum) stops and Roman culture starts, because in fact they were so closely intertwined. A Roman would probably not see how they could be separated.

There are several reconstructionist groups. Many take in new members regularly and have active communities though some are intrinsically tied to Roman politics and Roman Reconstructionism. An example of one is the new community of Imperivm Romanvm which wants to create a new Roman city practicing the Religio Romana and to revitalise Roman culture as a whole.

Related Pages[]

External Links[]

Latin Translations Online []

Further Sources[]

Religio Romana Blogs[]

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