Comparing cults of isis and diana
The cult of Diana and Isis are very similar in some aspects, however the different cults attracted different people who wished to worship their chosen deity. The appeal of these cults appeals to the gender of the worshipper, social status and general beliefs. The cults attracted many worshippers through the different rituals and beliefs that appealed to different people.
The Diana cult attracted both females and slaves, Due to the fact that Diana was the goddess of childbirth, fertility and nursing, she was seen highly for the women. Diana was honoured for the women as goddess of the light. Diana was mainly worshipped by women trying to get pregnant and those who wished for an easy labour. Because of her status and responsibility, Diana appealed to many women who were attempting to conceive or going through childbirth. The deity also appealed to slaves, because the cults would not discriminate the initiate and their social status. Diana would also respect her relationship with the slaves. Foundation Day at the Aventine temple was a ‘Servorum Dies Festus’ meaning festival of Diana and the Rex Nemorensis at Aricia was a runaway slave. George Wissowa was a German classical Philologist suggests that ‘slaves were in the beginning were Latin war prisoners, allowed worship of the Latin goddess. In the sanctuary of Diana the Rex Nemorensis would take place. This ritual was were a fugitive slave claims the head priest title by seizing a bough from a sacred tree of the sanctuary and killing previous priest in single combat. For the Rex Nemorensis ritual to be completed correctly the challenger had to be a fugitive from slavery before being able to take the bough. The fugitive status if not slave status must belong to his earliest identity. The ritual killing was associated with fertility and the priest was seen as the mythical guardian of the spirit of the sacred oak tree. James. G. Frazer was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion, saw the killing of the priest and burring of the bough as ‘replacing an annual summer sacrifice for the following years crop’ (C.M.C Green. 2007). The winning slave would have the honour of representing Diana as one of her priests. Until when the winning slave would have to meet his opponent in the forest once again. C.M.C Green states that “Each priest king ritually murderer of his predecessor and one day in the forest he would to turn to meet his own murderer” (C.M.C Green. 2007). The fugitives and exiles integrated into the ritual in the Arician cult of Diana. Furthermore, sales were attracted to the cult because it demonstrated that even the powerless could achieve greatness.
The cult of Isis appealed mainly to the young women, Isis appealed to women as she was also seen as the goddess of fertility. Isis was idolised by women in Roman society as she was seen as the deity who would be able to gift them with children. A Roman myth about Isis states that she said “I bought together women and men, I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month, I ordained that parents should be loved by children, I Compelled women to be loved by men and I devised marriage contracts” (Ross Shepherd Kraemer. 2007. pg 65). Isis was seen as the mourner, wife and mother and this appealed to the women of the Roman republic as a deity that they would chose to worship.
The Diana cult attracted both females and slaves, Due to the fact that Diana was the goddess of childbirth, fertility and nursing, she was seen highly for the women. Diana was honoured for the women as goddess of the light. Diana was mainly worshipped by women trying to get pregnant and those who wished for an easy labour. Because of her status and responsibility, Diana appealed to many women who were attempting to conceive or going through childbirth. The deity also appealed to slaves, because the cults would not discriminate the initiate and their social status. Diana would also respect her relationship with the slaves. Foundation Day at the Aventine temple was a ‘Servorum Dies Festus’ meaning festival of Diana and the Rex Nemorensis at Aricia was a runaway slave. George Wissowa was a German classical Philologist suggests that ‘slaves were in the beginning were Latin war prisoners, allowed worship of the Latin goddess. In the sanctuary of Diana the Rex Nemorensis would take place. This ritual was were a fugitive slave claims the head priest title by seizing a bough from a sacred tree of the sanctuary and killing previous priest in single combat. For the Rex Nemorensis ritual to be completed correctly the challenger had to be a fugitive from slavery before being able to take the bough. The fugitive status if not slave status must belong to his earliest identity. The ritual killing was associated with fertility and the priest was seen as the mythical guardian of the spirit of the sacred oak tree. James. G. Frazer was a Scottish social anthropologist influential in the early stages of the modern studies of mythology and comparative religion, saw the killing of the priest and burring of the bough as ‘replacing an annual summer sacrifice for the following years crop’ (C.M.C Green. 2007). The winning slave would have the honour of representing Diana as one of her priests. Until when the winning slave would have to meet his opponent in the forest once again. C.M.C Green states that “Each priest king ritually murderer of his predecessor and one day in the forest he would to turn to meet his own murderer” (C.M.C Green. 2007). The fugitives and exiles integrated into the ritual in the Arician cult of Diana. Furthermore, sales were attracted to the cult because it demonstrated that even the powerless could achieve greatness.
The cult of Isis appealed mainly to the young women, Isis appealed to women as she was also seen as the goddess of fertility. Isis was idolised by women in Roman society as she was seen as the deity who would be able to gift them with children. A Roman myth about Isis states that she said “I bought together women and men, I appointed to women to bring their infants to birth in the tenth month, I ordained that parents should be loved by children, I Compelled women to be loved by men and I devised marriage contracts” (Ross Shepherd Kraemer. 2007. pg 65). Isis was seen as the mourner, wife and mother and this appealed to the women of the Roman republic as a deity that they would chose to worship.