Religion

Anna Schindler, Erica Weigel, and Raegan Heck.

Roman Religion

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Jupiter was the king of the gods.

Janus was the God of beginnings and doors

Venus and Cupid were the goddess and god of love.

**The Beginning of Rome**

The Romans believed that Rome was founded by the twin brothers Romulus and Remus. The story begins when Numitor, the king of an Ancient Greek kingdom, and his daughter, Rhea Silvia, were dethroned and sent to the temple of Mars by Numitor's brother Amulius. Rhea Silvia ended up marrying Mars and having twin boys, Romulus and Remus. In fear that the boys would overthrow him someday, Amulius had two of his servants throw the boys into the the Tiber River. Luckily the boys survived and washed upon shore where they were discovered by a she wolf who took care of them and fed them her milk. As the boys became a little older they were discovered by a shepherd, Faustulus, who brought them to his home and continued raising them with his wife. Romulus and Remus would help Faustulus and also do some heroic deeds for the other village people. Word spread of these two boys and eventually reached their grandfather, Numitor. He had his gaurds find them and bring them to him. When the truth all came out Romulus and Remus overthrew Amulius and made their grandfather king again. After doing so, they wanted to found a city of their own. They decided to biuld it at a bank of the Tiber River, where the she wolf had found them. Remus built the temples and Romulus built the houses and roads. The brothers argued over what the city would be called because they both wanted it to be named after themselves. Eventually, Romulus killed his own brother and assumed the throne to Roma (Rome).

Gods

 * Like the Greeks, the Romans believed in many gods (Polytheism).
 * These gods controlled everything from the natural elements of the world to things in a Roman's daily life.
 * Romans not only worshiped gods, but they worshiped their rulers and emperors as godlike figures as well.
 * People were allowed to worship as many gods as they wanted, but refusing to worship a Roman god was punishable.
 * Romans probably worshiped a hundred different gods, but below are a small handful of the well known Roman Gods:


 * ===Jupiter=== || The king of all the gods and the god of the sky. Equivalent to the Greek god Zeus. His symbols include a bull, an eagle, and a lightning bolt. || ===Juno=== || The goddess of marriage and wife of Jupiter. Equivalent to the Greek goddess Hera. Her symbols included a cow and a peacock. ||
 * ===Neptune=== || The god of the sea. Equivalent to the Greek god Poseidon. His symbol included a bull, horse, and a trident. || ===Mars=== || The god of war. Equivalent to the Greek god Ares. His symbols included a wolf, vulture, a bloody spear, and a sacred shiled. ||
 * ===Mercury=== || The messenger god and god of finance. Equivalent to the Greek god Hermes. His symbols could be the winged sandals. || ===Minerva=== || The goddess of wisdom and also war. Equivalent to the Greek god Athena. Her symbols include an owl and a snake. ||
 * ===Pluto=== || The god of the underworld. Equivalent to the Greek god Haites. || ===Ceres===

Saturn
|| The gods of agriculture and harvest. Equivalent to the Greek god Demeter. Their symbols could be the wheat seed. ||
 * ===Venus===

Cupid
|| The goddess and god of love. Venus was the equivalent to the Greek goddess Aphrodite. Her symbols include doves, and swans. || ===Vesta=== || The goddess of fertility. Equivalent to the Greek goddess Hestia. Her symbol was the eternal flame. ||

Worship

 * Romans worshiped many gods in spectacular temples that were built specifically for them.
 * Roman temples can be found in all sorts of different places around Europe where their empire was vastly expanded.
 * The Romans believed that giving gifts and sacrificing things for the gods would mean that the gods would, in return, give to them.
 * Worship was not only done in temples. Each family had their own personal household gods and spirits called lares. The home had a small alter that they would pray at every day.



Past vs. Present

 * Roman religion is very different today than it was many centuries ago during the Roman Empire.
 * Most Romans today are Roman Catholic.
 * Christianity wasn't accepted in Ancient Rome until the 4th century when the emperor Constantine converted to it and legalized it.
 * Christians in Ancient Rome started with slaves and the poor because they thought they had much to gain from it.
 * Up until the 4th century Christians were persecuted or fed to lions for entertainment.

**Traditions**

 * Roman weddings were huge celebrations just as they are today. In fact, we have adopted many of our wedding traditions from the Romans.
 * Roman wedding would not be held on the Kalends, Nones, or Ides of every month, the whole months of May and February, or many festival days.
 * Weddings began with the ceremony at the bride's house. In this ceremony the bride and groom say the words "Ubi tu Gaius, ego Gaia" meaning "Where you are Gaius, I am Gaia." The new couple would then sacrifice a pig, or something of that nature, and the wedding contract is signed by a number of witnesses. After, the wedding breakfast is served, gifts are given, and preparations are made for the procession.
 * During the procession a number of traditions are performed. The first is the scene of the seizure of the Sabine woman is acted out by the couple and guests. In this, the groom has to rip the bride out of her mother's arms. Then, Three boys that had living parents escorted the bride around, while guests shouted obscenities at the bride making fun of her virginity, and walnuts were thrown in hopes to make the bride more fertile.
 * The procession then moved over to the groom's house, the brides future home. When they arrived the Bride would run the doorway with oil and line it with wool to state her role as a domestic wife. The Bride is carried over the Threshold by the groom because its considered bad to let the bride feet touch the floor because it is sacred to Vesta, the Goddess of virgins.
 * Once the Bride is in her new home, she is given the keys, and then both the bride and groom touch fire and water to symbolize that their union would last forever.
 * The day ends with a feast, during which the bring is led to the bedroom and undressed by the pronuba, or matron of honor. When the groom enters, the pronuba offers a sacrifice and then leaves the room.
 * Roman Funerals had very elaborate rituals. Much more elaborate then ours today, but again, we adopted many of our rituals from the Romans.
 * Romans believed funeral rituals were important because unburied souls would not be able to cross the river of Styx and they would wander along the river for hundreds of years.
 * At a person's dying moment, his or her closest relative tried to catch their last breath because Romans thought their souls came out from the mouth at death.
 * To prepare a body for the Funeral, the body is cleaned and dressed in fine robes, and placed on a couch surrounded by flowers with his or her feet pointing towards the outer door. Coins are placed under their tongue or on their eyes to help pay their way across the river Styx.
 * During the procession, mourners are hired to sing praises of the deceased, and wear masks of the dead's descendants. A eulogy, or praise for the deceased, is read during the procession to.
 * Although burial happened often, cremation was the most common funeral practice. In this practice, The corpse is laid on a funeral pile in the shape of an alter, and the closest relative would then light it on fire. perfumes and spices were thrown into the flame. When the fire was put out, the embers were soaked in wine, and the ashes were then collected into an urn.
 * At the end of the funeral the mourners are sprayed with water to purify them because they have come into contacted with a corpse.
 * Families that could not afford funerals would sometimes put the corpse into a casket and throw it into a creek or river.

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