Cults In The Roman Republic

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Recommended: Greek influence on Roman culture

As the Roman Republic grew and began encompassing more territories and consequently more cultures, Roman society and its religious practices changed. With the rise of philhellenism during the Republic, the religious institutions of the state developed as several gods in the Greek pantheon found parallels in the Romans’. The Romans imported cultural and philosophical beliefs nearly as frequently as they did commercial products and tributes, and the emergence of cults in the Republic became relatively accepted. Dunstan describes the appeal of mystery cults as being “colorful” and “[promising] not only to protect devotees in life but also… eternal bliss after death.” These cults would later consolidate their positions vis-à-vis the Roman people and establish themselves as alternatives to Roman traditionalism.

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