Religions of Rome: Volume 2: A Sourcebook

Very good softcover in printed wraps. Minor scuff marks to the cover. 8vo. (6.85 x 0.98 x 9.72 inches) Clean text free of marks or underlining. B&W photos and illustrations. Includes a list of abbreviations and conventions, glossary, details of illustrations, bibliography, index of texts cited and a general index. 416 pp. Fast shipping in a secure book box mailer with tracking. This book reveals the extraordinary diversity of ancient Roman religion. A comprehensive source-book, it presents a wide range of documents illustrating religious life in the Roman world - from the foundation of the city in the eighth century B.C. to the Christian capital more than a thousand years later. Each document is given a full introduction, explanatory notes and bibliography, and acts as a starting point for further discussion. Through paintings, sculptures, coins, and inscrip-tions, as well as literary texts in translation, the book explores the major themes and problems of Roman religion, such as sacrifice, the religious calendar, divination, ritual, and priesthood. Starting from the archaeological traces of the earliest cults of the city, it finishes with a series of texts in which Roman authors themselves reflect on the nature of their own religion, its history, even its funny side. In between, the widening scope of religious choice, both within and outside 'official' cults of the state, provides a major theme. Judaism and Christianity are given full coverage, as important elements in the religious world of the Roman empire. The companion volume, Religions of Rome 1: A History, offers a narrative account of the religions of Rome and a wider context for the documents discussed in this volume.…