"The Religio Romana involves a collection of beliefs and practices honoring ancestral and divine spirits through precise actions and prayers in order to gain favor and achieve peace with the Gods (pax deorum.)"
~ Temple of Religio Romana.
Reconstruction
Religio Romana - the modern reconstruction of the faith of the ancient Romans. Like many Pagan paths, it is a Reconstructionist faith which means that inspiration and deviation from the original standards of belief and practice is not encouraged. As a result, Religio Romana is a "pure" path in that only the original Roman names of the deities, and the original Roman traditions are observed.
Religio Romana is an interesting blend of piety, duty, and mystery. Paying due care and respect to the divine and the ancestral spirits brought the favour of the gods. Spirits (numina) are omnipresent divine manifestations, the appropriate worship of which resulted in success within one's life.
As many Pagan faiths have done, it began as an earth-centred religion, but without the sacred-earth nature some developed. The Romans, pragmatic people, were farmers, and thus their religion was a farm-orientated one that expanded to become a State Religion.
The Roman deities are not jealous gods in that they do not mind the worship of foreign gods. As long as all rituals are observed and the Roman gods respected, the people are free to worship whomever they wish. The Romans were famous for this inclusive aspect - adopting deities hither and thither as they travelled the world. Beyond this, people are free to form their own personal bods with the gods - this is probably a remnant of the foundation of the religion when the head of the household was also the one in charge of the rituals. Without priests to mediate between the people and their gods, a strong personal connection developed. Later, as the State developed, priesthoods emerged. However their role dealt with public rituals and observances. The families still maintained their private larariums (alters) and dealt with the gods themselves.
In many ways Rome and the State Religion represented the family on a larger scale.
"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."
~ Cicero, Pro Plancio, 54 B.C.E.
Rome, its practices, traditions, and ideals, has remained with our Western civilisation throughout the years. Our laws are based on Roman principles, as are many of our governing methods. Much of the morality and mores that rules our lives comes from Rome - to be precise, Cicero and his De Officiis(On Duties). It is thus not so odd that in these times of increasing focus back to the ancients for spiritual inspiration we would look to the religion of Rome. The choice of name, Religio Romana, reflects this. It goes beyond religion of the Romans.
"Religio, to the Roman, further encompasses the meanings of sense of right, conscience, reverence, awe, sanctity, the object of veneration, ritual, taboo, and scrupulous regard." By using the term, modern day practicioners are consciously linking back "to ancestral covenants and customs; a re-collection of the shared traditions of a people; the common sense of awe; appreciation; conscience; and duty". (Exerpts quoted from Julia Cybele Lansberry's article on De Religione Romana).
Modern Religio Romana is governed by the traditions and practices of ancient Rome - within the constraints of today. The Roman Virtues, as defined by Cicero in his book On Duties, are the guidelines of what is desirable and good for a practitioner of Religio Romana who strives to maintain pax decorum.
The Roman Virtues, as listed on the Temple of Religio Romana, are:
Abundantia: Abundance within society
Aequitas: Equity within society and government
Aeternitas: Eternity of ideals, truths and realities
Beatitudo: Beatitude and thankfulness at good fortune
Bonus Eventus: Successful outcome
Caritas: Affection - especially within family
Claritas: Clarity and outstanding public presence
Clementia: Clemency in private and public matters
Concordia: Concord between all
Constantia: Constantcy in mind or purpose
Disciplina: Discipline
Fecunditas: Fecundity
Felicitas: Felicity and good fortune
Fides: Good Faith
Fortuna: Fortune
Genius: Guardian Spirit - the power within extending to powers of peoples and nations
Hilaritas: Hilarity
Honos: Honor
Humanitas: Humanity
Indulgentia: Indulgence and tolerance
Justitia: Justice - also defined by implementation and enforcement of reasonable laws within a sound government
Laetitia: Joy in life
Liberalitas: Liberality - giving abundantly
Libertas: Liberty from tyranny
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Mens: Mind - use of mental capabilities
Munificentia: Munificence
Nobilitas: Nobility accompanied by high ideals.
Ops: Wealth - possessing resources to bring aid
Patientia: Patience
Pax: Peace
Perpetuitas: Perpetuity and enduring existence
Pietas: Piety; Respect, duty and devotion toward religious, social and political observances
Providentia: Providence
Pudicitia: Chastity - decent and moral behavior
Quies-Requies: Peace - restful state of mind and body
Religio: Reverence of the gods
Salus: Safety
Securitas: Security - freedom from danger attributed to a competent government
Spes: Hope
Strenia: Strenuous and vital
Tranquillitas: Tranquility
Tutela: Tutelage - protective care and guidance in guardianship
Ubertas: Abundance - especially pertaining to agriculture
Utilitas: Utility
Virtus: Virtue - physical courage and mental strength
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The she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus.
The Chief Roman Deities
It's important to remember that the Roman deities were not static beings responsible for one or two things. To truly list all their responsibilities would take a lot of space. Here are the major attributes only.
Apollo - the god of healing, music, poetry, prophecy, and hunting. Apollo, the sun-god, rode his chariot across the sky each day.
Diana - the moon-goddess, and a patron of childbirth. Later she took on hunting and disease (both cause and cure).
Iuno - the penultimate light-bringer, Juno is the patron deity of childbirth and marriage, and also of war and death in her aspect as Iuno Sospita Mater Regina.
Iuppiter - Iuno's counterpart, brother and husband, he is the god of light, dawn and the full moon. He is also the god of lightning, thunder, and rain.
Mars - initially he was not the god of war. Mars was the protector of herds, boundaries, and agriculture.
Mercurius - the male psychopomp. Mercury is the god of communication, commerce, and divine messages.
Minerva - goddess of wisdom, weaving, written law, and art. She ultimately also took on a war-goddess role and became the patron of strategy.
Neptunus - the god of the oceans and later of horses.
Pluto - originally a god of the earth's wealth and later a god of the Underworld.
Vesta - the goddess of the hearth and the household spirites - the Lares and penantes.
Venus - goddess of love, flowers, and springtime. And of prostitutes. She was also viewed as the Mother of the Roman people.
Vulcanus - initially the god of ripening fruits, he became the patron of metal working.
For further information about the rituals, deities, beliefs and traditions of Religio Romana please visit these sites:
De Religione Romana
Societas Via Romana
Nova Roma
Temple of Religio Romana
Collegium Religionis
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