How.com.vn is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 11 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time.
This article has been viewed 37,281 times.
The religion of ancient Rome is called in Latin "Cultus Deorum". The means roughly "care of the Gods". ("Cultus" is related to the English words "cult", "culture" and "cultivate".) People who follow the reconstruction of this religion often call themselves "Cultores" ("cool-TOR-ace"), or "Cultor" in the singular. This guide assumes that you are familiar with how to be a Recon pagan.
Steps
Read a well-written, recent introduction to the cultus deorum, such as An Introduction to Roman Religion by John Scheid or Dictionary of Roman Religion by Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins.
Make a lararium for your home.Advertisement
Make a Roman calendar and learn how to use it to follow the Roman holidays.
Read Cicero's "On Duties", especially book 3. It is not long, and in it Cicero tells some ideas about living an ethical life. These ideas were later incorporated into Christian thinking!
Learn about the "Numa Tradition". This was considered by the ancients themselves as the purest, most reverent form of the cultus deorum. This tradition forbade blood sacrifice. Roman authors that tell us about the Numa tradition include Pliny the Elder, Festus, Cicero, and Plutarch.
Spend a few minutes at your lararium each day. Even if you don't perform any rituals there, it will remind you that the gods are always present in your world.
Learn the basics of Roman ritual. One of the most important ancient writers for ritual is Cato the Elder in de Agri Cultura.
Put photos of your ancestors on your lararium.
Find Cultus Deorum groups and activities in your area.Advertisement
Community Q&A
- QuestionCan a Christian celebrate pagan holidays without being a heretic?
Hippie YaYaCommunity AnswerYes. It's what is in your heart that matters, not the form of praise.
Tips
- Don't focus on a single "patron" deity. Romans were polytheists. More than that, their world was filled with natural gods. You too can learn to see the divine in the world around you.Thanks
- The idea of "exclusivity" is not part of Roman paganism, so you can still practice any other religion you want.Thanks
- Educated Romans liked to connect Roman gods with Greek gods. They are similar in some ways, but there are also very important differences. Don't confuse them.Thanks
Warnings
- Forget everything you learned about Romans through watching movies. Hollywood makes entertainments, not documentaries.Thanks
- Never do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. "Orgies" of any sort are not part of the cultus deorum, for example. Avoid anyone who insists they are.Thanks
References
- An Introduction to Roman Religion, John Scheid. (2003).
- Religions of Rome, Mary Beard, John North & Simon Price. (1998).
- Simple rituals for starters (website)
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
