Across the arc from Numa to Augustus, this study traces how Rome’s earliest beliefs formed its public rituals and private devotion.
It reveals a slow movement from numinous powers to named gods and shows how religion intersected with politics, society, and daily life.
Through careful analysis of cults, priesthoods, and state ceremonies, the work explains how Rome’s religious ideas evolved under changing kings, republics, and empires. It also considers how later rulers used religion to stabilize power, while readers see why old rites did not simply return in a new era.
- How early Roman religion moved from vague spirits to personal gods like Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus
- The roles of ritual specialists and the key priesthoods that organized public worship
- Family and civic cults, including the Lares, and the shift from private to urban worship
- The impact of imperial policy on religion, including Augustus’s attempts to revive tradition
Ideal for readers of classical history and those seeking a clear, thoughtful guide to Rome’s religious development.