The Ancient Roman Afterlife: Di Manes, Belief, and the Cult of the Dead

by Charles King

In ancient Rome, it was believed some humans were transformed into special, empowered beings after death. These deified dead, known as the manes , watched over and protected their surviving family members, possibly even extending those relatives’ lives. But unlike the Greek hero-cult, the worship of dead emperors, or the Christian saints, the manes were incredibly inclusive—enrolling even those without social clout, such as women and the poor, among Rome's deities. The Roman afterlife promised posthumous power in the world of the living. While the manes have often been glossed over in studies of Roman religion, this book brings their compelling story to the forefront, exploring their myriad forms and how their worship played out in the context of Roman religion’s daily practice. Exploring the place of the manes in Roman society, Charles King delves into Roman beliefs about their powers to sustain life and bring death to individuals or armies, examines the rituals the Romans performed to honor them, and reclaims the vital role the manes played in the ancient Roman afterlife.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

300 pages, Hardcover

Published April 28, 2020

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See:

Charles King, History, Politics
Charles King, Poetry
Charles King, Children's books
Charles King (1789-1867)
Charles King, Poetry (1919-)
Charles King, U.S. General
Charles King, Collector of gems

Reviews

[B. Rule · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent and erudite monograph on a huge aspect of domestic Roman religion that often gets neglected in favor of the more glamorous Olympic pantheon and Imperial cult. King methodically and convincingly demonstrates that the Manes were the divinized dead broadly considered, not limited to patrilineal ancestors.

One of the most important interpretive lenses he uses is the idea of polymorphism of belief clusters: while Roman religion was deeply concerned with orthopraxy, there was wide latitude for differing beliefs within the cultic-cultural matrix. Thus, you could have pagan believers who saw the Manes as equivalent to the Lares, while others believed the Lares to be children of a specific nymph/goddess or spirits tied to a particular place. Some could treat the afterlife as an indistinct realm of shades, and others could emphasize the moral judgments of the dead implied by Elysium and Tartarus. Roman paganism was a creedal big tent and quite different from the later Christian concern with professing faith in the correct forms.

In the course of his study, King considers (and often dismantles) much of the received scholarly wisdom. Fustel de Coulanges in particular gets quite the drubbing here. King's refutations are always backed up by robust textual and archaeological evidence, and never feel like picking needless fights. King's fundamental point is that Roman domestic life involved significant reciprocal relationships that didn't stop at the grave, but instead knit the living and the dead into a larger community of shared obligations and gifts. This is the meaning of pietas. Romans could pray to their divinized dead to prolong their lives, aid their endeavors, and secure better berth when they themselves passed over.

King also devotes significant space to fascinating topics like festivals for the dead (the Parentalia and Lemuria), the annual opening of the subterranean and mysterious Mundus and its connection with Ceres and the agricultural calendar, the relationship between sacrificial practices and property law, and arcane taxonomies of the dead (Manes, Lemures, Larvae, etc.). It's clear that Roman cemeteries were where the party was at: King notes that some wealthy tombs were kitted out not just with libation tubes to give the dead a glug of wine or perfume, but also with stone couches and outdoor kitchens for the living to get their barbecue on with the requisite sacrificial porcus while waiting for grandpa to burn up on the pyre.

It's a fascinating topic and an excellent scholarly work. Recommended for anyone interested in the texture of daily life in Rome or as the basis for comparative religious studies. The Manes appear to be a uniquely Roman concept, neither inherited from the Greeks nor respected by the Christians. While King only hints at the interplay of the Manes and mystery cults or the early Church, it will give readers plenty to consider when approaching those topics too. Great stuff.

[Sally Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is great. Dude brings the receipts from both archaeology and quotes from the time. Rightly points out that too many have interpreted the manes through a Christian lens and forcing ideas through a prism of orthodoxy, whereas Roman beliefs were obviously polytheistic and orthopraxy was the goal. You could believe what you wanted about gods and any or no afterlife, as long as you followed the basic forms of ceremony.

Only drawback is that it's very short (text ends at 57%) so not worth the list price. Borrow it or wait till it's on sale for $2.99 like I did.

Bonus points for the front cover lettering.

[Brook Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough read. It's very dry--very scholarly, and a little overly so. That being said, there was a lot of great information and King's research was truly remarkable. It took me over two months to get through this one. It's a huge volume and there are as many end-notes as there are chapters in the book. Really.

As much as I valued the research, I felt like some of it was overkill (no pun intended.) Still, I received valuable knowledge, and that's what counts. And kudos to Mr. King for his die-hard (whoops--did it again!) research! :)