Roman Religion in Valerius Maximus

1. Auflage 2002
ISBN: 978-0-415-27108-0
Verlag: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Buch, Englisch, 288 Seiten, Format (B × H): 156 mm x 234 mm, Gewicht: 590 g

DID THE GODS OF ROME CARE ABOUT PERSONAL MORALITY? Valerius Maximus was an indefatigable collector of historical anecdotes illustrating vice and virtue; his Memorable Deeds and Sayings are unparalleled as a source for the opinions of Romans in the early empire on a vast range of subjects. Mueller’s study focuses on what Valerius can tell us about contemporary Roman attitudes to religion, attacking several orthodoxies along the way. He argues that Roman religion could be deeply emotional, that it was possible to believe passionately in the divinity of the emperor – even when, like Tiberius, he was still alive – and that Rome’s gods and religious rituals had an important role in fostering conventional morality. The study further explores elements of ancient rhetoric, Roman historiography, and Tiberian Rome. The fact that Valerius was a contemporary of Jesus means his work is also valuable in reflecting the attitudes and beliefs of the ruling class to which Christ and his followers were politically subject, and which formed the background to the growth and persecution of Christianity.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Mueller, Hans-Friedrich

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Europäische Geschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte Prähistorische Religionen
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte Religionen des Alten Orients
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Weltgeschichte & Geschichte einzelner Länder und Gebietsräume Geschichte einzelner Länder Europäische Länder
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte Alteuropäische Religionen: Kelten, Germanen, Slawen, Balten
• Geisteswissenschaften Religionswissenschaft Religionswissenschaft Allgemein Religionsgeschichte Religionen der Antike

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction 1. Juno Valeriana 2. Vesta Mater: Mother Vesta 3. In Iovis Sacrario: In Jupiter's Inner Sanctuary 4. Ritual Vocabulary and Moral Imperatives 5. Sanctitas Morum or the Genreal intersections of Religion and Morality. Conclusion

Über Autor(innen)

HANS-FRIEDRICH MUELLER is Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Florida. In addition to lexicographical contributions to the Thesaurus Linguae Latinae, he has published articles on Greek and Roman historiography and Roman religion