Literature and Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and Beliefs

by Denis Feeney

This book exploits recent reevaluations of Roman religion in order to argue in favor of taking the religious dimensions of Roman literature seriously, as important cultural work in their own right. Instead of seeing Roman religious and literary activity as derivative and parasitic upon Greek originals, the book questions the romanticizing biases of classical studies, and argues for the power and creativity of the Romans in their engagements with Greek culture.

Genres: Classics, History, Religion

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 13, 1998

Reviews

[Ella]

Read for Michaelmas Term Secondary Tutorial: Roman Religion

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent argument for studying Roman religion not as an inferior byproduct of Greek religion, but as a terrifically complex product of a historically unique (or at least incredibly rare) impulse to make another language/culture's myths one's own without effacing the history or route of that influence. The chapter on 'Myth' is particularly to be commended for clarity, as are the periodic reflections on Ovid's "Fasti".