Religion in the Roman Empire

Holtzer, Ben. Religion in the Roman Empire. Part of the Life in the Roman Empire series. 2017. 80p. ISBN 978-1-5026-2263-1. Available at 292.07 HOL on the library shelves.

Life in the Roman Empire could be hard, but the Romans believed that deities and spirits surrounded and protected them from Fate and from their enemies. The Roman pantheon of gods and goddesses was varied and incorporated the worship of deities as far away as Egypt and the Middle East into a homegrown version of the Greek gods. Along with the major gods and goddesses, worshipped throughout the Empire under different names, the Romans believed that each man and woman had their own guardian spirit, while their houses and cities did too. As a result a series of elaborate rituals arose to celebrate and appease these spirits to gain their blessings.

As the Empire expanded, more deities were added to the well-known deities such as Jupiter and Venus. Women were an integral part of worship, and often had their own religious duties to perform. The Vestal virgins kept Rome’s eternal flame going. The wives of Emperors were worshipped as deities and, while alive, held sumptuous services to the gods. For the Romans, religion was a fact of life, neither questioned nor doubted.

The rise of the monotheistic religion of Christianity at first went unnoticed in the halls of power, but as Christians gained in popularity their demands that only God be worshipped drew the ire of Emperors. Christians were martyred and executed, but in the end Constantine converted to Christianity and eventually all Roman gods were banned. For hundred of years afterwards Roman deities continued to be worshiped, but as the Empire fell and was replaced by competing kingdoms, Christianity triumphed and the gods disappeared. Their names remain, however, both in the days of the week and in the months of the year.

Other titles in this series include The Countryside in the Roman Empire, The City in the Roman Empire, and Patricians in the Roman Empire.

Dateline: Troy

Fleischman, Paul. Dateline: Troy. 1996. 80p. ISBN 1-56402-469-5. Available at 398.2 FLE on the library shelves.

The Trojan War is one of the better known ancient conflicts that pitted Greek city states against Troy. When Zeus was asked to judge who was the fairest between Hera, Athena and Aphrodite, he decided that Paris of Troy should judge. Reputed a fair judge, Paris was promised Helen’s hand if he selected Aphrodites as the fairest. After doing so, Helen was struck and when she met Paris she immediately decided to be with him. Paris maneuvered Helen’s husband out of the way, then departed with the Greeks’ treasure and their most beautiful woman and returned to Troy.

Bound to help the King of Sparta, other Greek cities sent soldiers and commanded that Troy send Helen back. Upon Troy’s refusal, the Greeks set sail and lay siege to the city. At turn plagued and helped by the Gods, who were fighting each other, the Greeks eventually managed to enter Troy’s formidable defenses using a wooden horse as an stratagem. Many Greek heroes died during the ten years that the war lasted, and in the end all most the combatants found ruin and death.

Out of this foundational myth arise stories such as Odysseus and the founding of Rome.

Told in alternate pages with a summary and newspaper headlines, this book demonstrates that the story lines that influenced live over 2,500 years ago are still with us today. The tragedy that is Troy and humankind’s cupidity continues to influence the world today.

The Odyssey

Homer. The Odyssey. 2016. 37 mins. Abridged. Available as an audiobook on Overdrive.

Odysseus left to fight Troy, and he has now been missing for ten years. Nobles are swarming his wife Penelope, hoping to lay their hands on his lands and riches. His young son, Telemachus, grows up and becomes the leader of father’s kingdom in his absence, but his nobles still oppose him.

The goddess Athena advocates for Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, and Zeus finally consents. He returns home only to realize that his nobles are in open revolt and have been wasting his wealth. Disguised by Athena, he is recognized by his old nurse and by his valiant dog. Odysseus partakes of a meal in the palace before revealing himself in a feat of strength. Blood flows as the nobles are punished and Odysseus reclaims his throne, helped by Telemachus.

Ancient Sparta

DiPrimio, Pete. Ancient Sparta. 2013. 48p. ISBN 978-1612282763. Available at 938 DIP on the library shelves.

One of the most feared ancient society, Sparta was, at the height of its power, a militaristic society living a simple lifestyle based on harsh laws. Over six chapters, this short book discusses different aspects of Spartan life and society through a storytelling format supplemented by pictures.

Topics examined include laws and the founding of Sparta; its military might and prowess on the field of battle; Spartan women, who were more educated and more equal with their men than the rest of Greek society; and the Spartan way of life. The book also includes a map of Greece and a timeline of Spartan history.