The Religion of the Romans

by Jörg Rüpke

The gods were the true heroes of Rome. In this major new contribution to our understanding of ancient history, Jörg Rüpke guides the reader through the fascinating world of Roman religion, describing its unique characteristics and bringing its peculiarities into stark relief.
Rüpke gives a thorough and engaging account of the multiplicity of cults worshipped by peasant and aristocrat alike, the many varied rites and rituals daily observed, and the sacrifices and offerings regularly brought to these immortals by the population of Ancient Rome and its imperial colonies. This important study provides the perfect introduction to Roman religion for students of Ancient Rome and Classical Civilization.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ancient History, Religion, Paganism

368 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2007

Reviews

[Aleksandr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, an excellent book which I would recommend to most students and scholars of classical Rome. As with all academic works, and as is the standard for Prof. Rüpke, the work is well researched and very, very well referenced. If one were to disregard the actual content of the work, the quality of the research presented and the references given would merit a more-than-positive review. However, the content is certainly of the top-most quality, and again, definitely more than simply worth reading.

I cannot, though, go without noting what prevents the fifth star on this from me. This work, for all the quality of the material presented, contains significant amounts of theory (as opposed to demonstrated fact). Rüpke, appropriately, very well supports the theories he proposes, but I make particular note of this because, in my opinion, proper reading of this work requires a critical and discerning eye, differentiating what is the author's theories from what is actually and factually known. For this reason, my recommendation is to "most students and scholars" rather than all.

Overall, for anyone wishing to further their understanding of the religious corpus of Classical Rome, for anyone wishing to stay abreast of current beliefs on the same, and for anyone wishing to further develop their own beliefs on the same, I recommend this book. I do not recommend it as a primary introductory work, however, nevertheless, its quality certainly merits its inclusion on the bookshelf of anyone wishing to truly grasp the topic.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoroughly researched and insightful look into the religion(s) of the Romans, a must-read for cultores deorum and those who truly wish to understand the religious mindset of the ancient Romans, in particular in the social aspects of religious behavior (as opposed to doctrines of belief or sacred stories or such - which is especially important if one considers Roman religion to be about orthopraxy as opposed to orthodoxy).