Religion

Roman Mythology

For thousands of years before the advent of Christianity, Romans worshipped a variety of deities. Some of these gods were based on those of the Etruscans. The majority of them were adopted from those of the Greeks, with some changes in their personalities. These Greek gods were given Roman names.

Greek	Roman
Zeus Hera Poseidon Hades Artemis Athena Hermes Ares Aphrodite Eros	Jupiter Juno Neptune Pluto Diana Minerva Mercury Mars Venus Cupid

There were also some gods that were uniquely Roman. For example, Janus, the two-faced creator god, has no Greek counterpart.

The Romans believed the gods controlled various aspects of life. Juno was the goddess of women and the home, for example. Venus was the goddess of beauty, Cupid the god of love, Mars, the god of war, et cetera.

The Romans believed the gods controlled various aspects of life. Juno was the goddess of women and the home, for example. Venus was the goddess of beauty, Cupid the god of love, Mars, the god of war, et cetera.

The Romans believed in creative spirits who watched over a person from the moment of their birth. Males were guarded by "Geniuses." Females were protected by "Junos." These spirits influenced one's character, physical development, and luck.

Roman emperors, like Egyptian pharaohs, claimed to be gods. It was believed that they became gods after they died. Sometimes, their wives and children were also worshiped as gods and goddesses. One emperor, Caligula, claimed to be a god while he was still alive and had statues of himself put in the temples.

Rise of Christianity

At first, Christianity remained a sect of Judaism. Then Paul, a Jew from Asia Minor, began preaching Christ's message in gentile communities. After Christ appeared to him in a vision, Paul became a missionary. He set up churches from Mesopotamia to Rome and wrote letters to Christian communities explaining and expanding Christian teachings. Paul set Christianity on the road to becoming a world religion.

For the Romans, religion was not a way of life. It was something done on the side. A Roman could have shrines to the gods in his home, make sacrifices, and then commit murder. Religion did not control a man or woman's life.

Christianity, however, was radically different. The religion of the Christians was with them constantly and it governed their actions. Because Christians spoke out against their immoral actions, the upper class did not take to Christianity. The lower classes, however, embraced Christianity. Jesus had welcomed all, especially the poor and oppressed.

Rome did not tolerate Christianity. The Romans suspected the Christians of disloyalty to Rome because they would not worship Roman gods or sacrifice to the emperor. Christians were especially persecuted during the reign of Nero. Thousands of Christians were martyred at the hands of the Romans.

Despite this persecution, Christianity spread. People were impressed with the willingness of Christians to die for their faith. One Roman wrote, "The blood of the martyr is the seed of the [Christian] Church."

Finally, in A.D. 313, Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, granting religious freedom to all Roman citizens. Eighty years later, Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. While the Church's power was growing, the Empire's strength was fading. Eventually, the Church took over many of the former Empire's functions. The rise of the Church's influence and the fall of the Empire do not appear to be cause and effect. According to all historical records, the Church did not contribute to the fall of the Roman Empire. The Empire fell from within.