DO NOW – MATCH THE TERMS WITH DEFINITIONS TERMSDEFINITIONS Patrician One of the common people Vilicus Governing body of Rome atrium Wealthy aristocrat libertus Slave overseer of farm plebeianFreedman senate Hall in the household

RELIGION

ACTIVITY Write the 12 Olympian gods names and their responsibilities Write the 12 Olympian gods names and their responsibilities Next to them see if you can write the Roman name. Next to them see if you can write the Roman name.

ACTIVITY Brainstorm about your religion in your book, and the positions that are in your church. Brainstorm about your religion in your book, and the positions that are in your church. Roman Religion powerpoint.ppt Roman Religion powerpoint.ppt Roman Religion powerpoint.ppt Roman Religion powerpoint.ppt

READING YOU ARE GOING TO READ FROM A TEXT BOOK AND CREATE A TREE MAP YOU ARE GOING TO READ FROM A TEXT BOOK AND CREATE A TREE MAP

YOUR TREE MAP IS GOING TO BE SEPERATED INTO 4 BRANCHES YOUR TREE MAP IS GOING TO BE SEPERATED INTO 4 BRANCHES TITLES ARE TITLES ARE STATE STATE HOUSEHOLD HOUSEHOLD NEW NEW POSITIONS OF RELIGION POSITIONS OF RELIGION

PONTIFEX MAXIMUS The head priest of the Roman state religion was the Pontifex Maximus, or the greatest of the college of pontifices. While an obviously important and prominent position within the ranks of the Roman system, the Pontifex Maximus was not considered a magistrate comparable to a Consul, Praetor, etc. During the Republic, the Pontifex was elected by the Comitia Tributa and served for life, while during the Empire, the position was generally held by the Emperor himself. Originally, the Ponifices were Patrician only, but the social conditions and changes during the late Republic allowed for Plebeian election as well. These men were responsible for the oversight of the state religious cult as a whole and didn’t really oversee particular godly cults, though they could if necessary.

By the Imperial period there were 16 pontifices under the high priest, 15 flamines, who were special priests of the main deities, and the Rex Sacrorum (king of the sacrifices) who performed the religious acts that the king had usually done. Perhaps most importantly, he was he was also responsible for the 18 Vestal Virgins. The main duty of the pontifices was to provide the pax deorum, or the 'peace with the gods'. Interpreting omens, sometimes through augures, controlling and keeping the official calendar, and the oversight of funerals all fell under the domain of the Pontifex Maximus. He was responsible for an enormous collection of omens (annales maximi); that would be recorded and collected on a nearly constant basis. These heavenly signs would be written down along with accompanying events, and used to determine the divine favor of the gods. Doing so allowed following generations of priests and magistrates to understand the historic will of the gods and interpret future events against past patterns. Today, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, the Pope, is still called the Pontifex Maximus. It’s a political or governing office that has been in existence and in perpetual use for nearly 3,000 years.

VESTIAL VIRIGNS The priestesses of the goddess Vesta were known as the Vestal Virgins. They were responsible for maintaining the sacred fire within the Temple of Vesta on the Forum Romanum. Other duties included performing rituals in regards to the Goddess Vesta, and baking the sacred salt cake to be used at numerous ceremonies in the year. They were the only female priests within the roman religious system. The head of the college of Vesta was called the Virgo Vestalis Maxima, and she was under the direct authority of the Pontifex Maximus. The college of Vesta had 18 members, though 6 were considered actual Vestal Virgins at any given time. They were selected from distinguished patrician families at an age from three to ten, and such appointments were considered a top honor for any family to receive. They each served thirty years, the first ten years as novices, then ten years as actual vestal virgins, and finally ten years as supervisors responsible for training the novices. After the thirty years of duty they were released from their duties and could then maintain a private life, including the right to marry. For men, arranging a marriage with a former vestal virgin was highly prestigious, regardless of age or the ability to have children. The priestesses of the goddess Vesta were known as the Vestal Virgins. They were responsible for maintaining the sacred fire within the Temple of Vesta on the Forum Romanum. Other duties included performing rituals in regards to the Goddess Vesta, and baking the sacred salt cake to be used at numerous ceremonies in the year. They were the only female priests within the roman religious system. The head of the college of Vesta was called the Virgo Vestalis Maxima, and she was under the direct authority of the Pontifex Maximus. The college of Vesta had 18 members, though 6 were considered actual Vestal Virgins at any given time. They were selected from distinguished patrician families at an age from three to ten, and such appointments were considered a top honor for any family to receive. They each served thirty years, the first ten years as novices, then ten years as actual vestal virgins, and finally ten years as supervisors responsible for training the novices. After the thirty years of duty they were released from their duties and could then maintain a private life, including the right to marry. For men, arranging a marriage with a former vestal virgin was highly prestigious, regardless of age or the ability to have children.

The vestals vowed to live in chastity for the thirty years their tenure lasted. In return they were allowed many privileges not given to ordinary Roman women. As one example, the vestals were not subject to the pater potestas of their fathers. Essentially they were allowed to handle their own properties and engage in legal contracts, they were allowed to travel around the city in a carriage and they had special seats in the front row at the various games, where, in contrast women were normally relegated to the back seats. They were considered inviolable and sacred and their blood could not be spilt without fear of terrible repercussion from the gods. So sacred and divine-like were these priestesses, that if a person sentenced to death met a vestal virgin on his way to the execution, he would be automatically pardoned. Of course, special care would be taken to prevent or to make sure this would happen, depending on the circumstances. The vestals vowed to live in chastity for the thirty years their tenure lasted. In return they were allowed many privileges not given to ordinary Roman women. As one example, the vestals were not subject to the pater potestas of their fathers. Essentially they were allowed to handle their own properties and engage in legal contracts, they were allowed to travel around the city in a carriage and they had special seats in the front row at the various games, where, in contrast women were normally relegated to the back seats. They were considered inviolable and sacred and their blood could not be spilt without fear of terrible repercussion from the gods. So sacred and divine-like were these priestesses, that if a person sentenced to death met a vestal virgin on his way to the execution, he would be automatically pardoned. Of course, special care would be taken to prevent or to make sure this would happen, depending on the circumstances.

DEATH OF A VIRGIN While enjoying many benefits, including a rather luxurious life in the House of Vestal Virgins, punishment for breaking the rules were severe. The punishment for breaking the vow of chastity was death by burial alive as this was the adopted to kill a vestal without shedding her blood. Such executions would take place in the "Evil Fields", or Campus Sceleratus, just outside the Servian Wall. Their lover would be flogged to death on the Comitium. While these executions took place several times, it was obviously a rare event that carried all sorts of negative omens with it. While the Pontifex Maximus continues to the present day as an office of the higher order in the Catholic Church, the order of the vestals was disbanded in 394 AD, when non-Christian cults were banned by Theodosius. The church, wisely trying to keep the general population with a sense of familiarity, readily adopted the use of convents and position of nuns that held many of the same rules and customs as the Vestals. While enjoying many benefits, including a rather luxurious life in the House of Vestal Virgins, punishment for breaking the rules were severe. The punishment for breaking the vow of chastity was death by burial alive as this was the adopted to kill a vestal without shedding her blood. Such executions would take place in the "Evil Fields", or Campus Sceleratus, just outside the Servian Wall. Their lover would be flogged to death on the Comitium. While these executions took place several times, it was obviously a rare event that carried all sorts of negative omens with it. While the Pontifex Maximus continues to the present day as an office of the higher order in the Catholic Church, the order of the vestals was disbanded in 394 AD, when non-Christian cults were banned by Theodosius. The church, wisely trying to keep the general population with a sense of familiarity, readily adopted the use of convents and position of nuns that held many of the same rules and customs as the Vestals.

READ TEXT AND ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AS STATEMENTS. 1. What are the Dii Familiars? 2. What is the Lars Familiars? 3. Find 3 examples from the text write their name and responsibility 4. What was the Roman reaction to other religions? 5. Who was Mithra? What aspect of Roman life worshipped her? 6. Why were the Christians presecuted? 7. Why is 392AD important in Roman religion? 8. Name the head priest of Roman Religion? 9. How was the Pontifex elected and what was the length of his reign? 10. What was the Pontifex responsibilities? 11. Explain the hierarchy within the Pontifices office. 12. The priestess for Vesta are… 13. Explain the duties of the VV… 14. How were they chosen and how long did they serve? 15. Describe the privileges of the VV… 16. What would the punishment be for a VV? 17. What is a modern day VV?

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS 1. They are the household gods 2. They are the guardian spirits 3. Forculus protected the door, Limentinus the threshold, Cardea the hinges, and Vesta the hearth 4. They were accepting of other religions 5. The Persian god Mithra. Overwhelmingly supported in the Legions/army, this deity offered eternal salvation for the immortal soul 6. They would not worship the emperor as a god 7. Christianity become the official religion of Rome, all pagan religions banned. 8. Pontifex Maximus 9. Elected by the Comitia Tributa and served for life 10. to provide the pax deorum, or the 'peace with the gods'. Interpreting omens, sometimes through augures, controlling and keeping the official calendar, and the oversight of funerals, He was responsible for an enormous collection of omens (annales maximi) pontifices under the high priest, 15 flamines, who were special priests of the main deities, and the Rex Sacrorum (king of the sacrifices) he was also responsible for the 18 Vestal Virgins 12. Vestial Virgins 13. VV’s were responsible for maintaining the sacred fire within the Temple of Vesta on the Forum Romanum. Performing rituals in regards to the Goddess Vesta, and baking the sacred salt cake 14. selected from distinguished patrician families, and served for 30 years 15. the vestals were not subject to the pater potestas of their fathers. They were allowed to handle their own properties and engage in legal contracts, they were allowed to travel around the city in a carriage and they had special seats in the front row at the various games 16. The punishment for breaking the vow of chastity was death by burial alive as this was the adopted to kill a vestal without shedding her blood 17. A nun