Curiosities of ancient Rome (Faith)

This page is also available in: Polish (polski)

Faith is a collection of curiosities about the beliefs, cults, and religious practices of ancient Rome. This category includes lesser-known facts, interesting details, and anecdotes related to Roman gods, rituals, priesthood, and places of worship, revealing the spiritual dimension of life in the Roman Empire.

Janus – god with two faces

Two faces do not have good associations with us today. Especially in Polish, “two-facedness” comes dangerously close to “two-facedness” – a very disliked human trait. The old Roman god with two faces even has a…Więcej

Legend of Silvester

Certainly many of us celebrate the last day of the year, called New Year’s Eve. But how many people know exactly where this name actually comes from? Celebrated on December 31 at the end of…Więcej

Victim or aggressor – Christianity in ancient Rome

In the popular consciousness, there are only two facts in the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity: first, the persecution of Christians (especially during the reign of Nero in the 1st century CE and…Więcej

Vestal virgins and their service

Vestal virgins (Virgines Vestales) were virgins who guarded the sacred fire goddess Vesta (goddess of the hearth and state) in the temple at Forum Romanum. The superior of the Vestals was Virgo Vestalis Maxima, the…Więcej

Sulla’s divine guide

The Roman politician Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix, also known as Sulla, lived from 138-78 BCE. In the history of Rome, he went down as one of the most controversial figures of the Roman Republic. As…Więcej

Church wealth

After gaining a dominant role in the Roman world, the ecclesiastical hierarchy moved away from propagated poverty. Churches turned into expensive palaces and bishops into wealthy patricians. The contradiction between the teaching of Christ and…Więcej

Suovetaurilia – sacrifice

In ancient Rome, the ritual suovetaurilia was practised, consisting in sacrificing to the god of war, Mars a pig (sus), sheep (ovis) and a bull (taurus). In this way, they wanted to gain his support and…Więcej

Fetials – Roman priests

Fetials (fetiales) were a twenty-member college of priests dedicated to Jupiter. Priests were elected for life. Their task was to declare war and conclude an alliance, which was associated with special magical formulas. Their activities…Więcej

Bacchus and Christ

The first Christians, wanting to gain as many followers as possible and to hide from the persecution of the authorities, tried to find an equivalent for the person of Christ in a pagan culture. It…Więcej

Pontifex maximus, between religion and politics

At first glance, it seems that the Roman political scene in the republican period was led by the most important senators and officials, such as consuls, praetors, censors, and dictators in emergency situations. These officials,…Więcej

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