Roman Ideas of Deity in the Last Century Before the Christian Era: Lectures (1914)

by W. Warde Fowler

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KOMAN IDEAS OF DEITY EOMAN IDEAS OF DEITY IN THE LAST CENTUEY BEFOEE THE CHEISTIAN EEA LECTUEES DELIVEEED IN OXFOED FOE THE COMMON TJNIVEKSITY PUND BY W. WAEDE FOWLER, M. A. HON. LL. D. EDINBXJEGH, HON. D. LITT. MANCHESTER AUTHOR OF ROMAN FESTIVALS OF THE . REPUBLIC, SOCIAL LIFE IN ROME IN THE AGE OF CICERO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE ETC. MACMILLAN AND CO., L...moreKOMAN IDEAS OF DEITY EOMAN IDEAS OF DEITY IN THE LAST CENTUEY BEFOEE THE CHEISTIAN EEA LECTUEES DELIVEEED IN OXFOED FOE THE COMMON TJNIVEKSITY PUND BY W. WAEDE FOWLER, M. A. HON. LL. D. EDINBXJEGH, HON. D. LITT. MANCHESTER AUTHOR OF ROMAN FESTIVALS OF THE . REPUBLIC, SOCIAL LIFE IN ROME IN THE AGE OF CICERO RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE OF THE ROMAN PEOPLE ETC. MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED ST. MAETINS STEEET, LONDON 1914 CONTENTS LECTUEE I SKETCH OF THE COUBSE DOMESTIC DEITIES PAGE . Roman and Italian religion of last century B. O. usually neglected by students of the threshold of Christianity. Ciceros de Nat. Deorum, its value and shortcomings. Ciceros ideas of the supernatural in the last two years of his life. His view of superstitio. Did he mean, like Lucretius, to eradicate it The Italians difficulty in realising divinity. Four ways in which he realised it in last century B. C. the first, domestic deity, subject of the rest of this lecture. Vesta and Penates, survivals of animism, act as antidotes to exotic polytheism. Genius, akin to the idea of numen, and on the way to divinity. Was it mortal In Ciceros time a deus mortalis later modification of this. Later developments of Genius, and their meaning in two later periods. Leading idea, divine permanence of thing or institution. Cult of the dead makes no real contribution to the idea of deity . 1 LECTUEE II JUPITEK AND THE TENDENCY TO MONOTHEISM Decay of the old Italian numina also of the gods of Rome, anthro pomorphised under Greek influence. One exception, Jupiter . Optimus Maximus, deity of heaven, good faith, and oaths, and protector of the empire. Monotheistic background in ani mistic religions. Illustrations from China, Borneo, etc. TheLatin Jupiter of the fericte Latinae may represent this back ground in Italy. Evidence in the Flamen Dialis, and the oath of the Fetiales. Moral power of Jupiter best seen in oaths, taken in the open air, the all-seeing Heaven-god being witness. Power of the oath at Rome. Idea of a supreme Deity in last century B. C. evidence of Lucretius, Cicero, Varro. Two reasons why Jupiter Capitolinus could be identified with the Stoic supreme Deity . ...... 29 vi ROMAN IDEAS OF DEITY LECTURE III COSMIC IDEAS OF DEITY SSai Sun-worship not universal, and why. No distinct trace of it in Italy in early times. New interest in the sun in Ciceros time due to Posidonius, Sun dux et princeps of the heavenly bodies. Traces of sun-worship in the Augustan Age. Prominence of Fortuna in last century B. O. What is meant by Fortuna was she a deity Origin of Fortuna as a deity of Latium, concerned with fortune-telling but not with blind chance, which was never con genial to the Roman mind. Meaning of Ti5 in Panaetius in Polybius, where the word sometimes means a natural process of evolution. Fortuna in Cicero is clearly chance, or the incalcul able in human lif e this the result of the uncertainty of life in that age. Fortuna in Lucretius seems to mean Natura. For tuna in Caesar is simply chance or accident but in Sallust, etc. a capricious power, unexplained. In Virgil Fortuna is in some degree a moral force. Fortuna on the border of deus land does she cross it under the Empire . . .,55 LECTURE IV THE RISE OF THE IDEA OF THE MAN-GOD Roman religion, human and social, as treated by Cicero and Varro, who look on religion as a State-made institution. When this religion breaks down, a substitute can be found in theworship of rulers. Tendency in this direction in last century B. C. the divine element in Man, illustrated from literature of this period. But the true Roman religion traditionally discouraged such a tendency, not recognising demi-gods, descent from gods, or divinity of rulers. Hence the caution needed in introducing the Man-god, and the failure of Antonys attempts. Success came from Greece and East sketch of rise of the Man-god in Egypt and Greece...(less)

Paperback, 180 pages

Published November 10th 2007 by Kessinger Publishing

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