Introduction to foreign cults in rome
The openness of the Roman religious system to foreign influences, including goddess’s and gods allowed the Romans adopt foreign cults and practises from areas that they had conquered.
The cult of Isis was a cult dedicated the Egyptian mother goddess Isis. The Egyptian goddess of Earth, wheat and barley. The Egyptian goddess was very interesting to the Romans, hence her popularity. Isis was the central goddess of the Egyptian religions, they saw her as a loving and compassionate deity. Myth illustrate Isis as very popular as she is seen as a motherly figure. She cared for her people, provided fertility and rebirth of crops. The cult came to Rome during the first century BC. The goddess was honoured by a stature in the capitol. The cult was oppressed by the state and the senate decreed for the removal of the statue. The Roman people who worshiped this cult tried again in 53BC, the chapels of Isis were destroyed and the private worship of Isis was forbidden. When a statue of Isis was to be removed “no workman would touch her shrine and a consul himself had to demolish it”. (F.R Cowell. ,1980). F.R. Cowell was an author born in 1897. This quote shows the worship between the Romans and the deity and this shows the worship and dedication of the people to this foreign cult. Cleopatras presence in Rome from 46BC to 44BC led to a renowned interest in the cult of Isis. When Augustus was emperor in 27BC, Cleopatra was associated with the enemy Antony. Augustus wished to see reverence paid to any Egyptian Goddess. Despite Augustus, the Temple of Isis retained its allure. The ban was lifted by Emperor Caligula and integrated back into Roman life, so much so that a huge sanctuary was build in Campus Martius areas of Rome. Ovid, a poet who lived in the first century, makes it clear that “Isis was popular with young women for he advises love-lorn swains to linger near it in hope of making their acquaintance”, (F.R Cowell. 1980) Ovid a poet from Ancient Rome, recalles how her would sue the shrine to meet women. Isis’ worship was associated with that of Serapis (Osiris), chief god among Egyptian deities. Osiris replaced Serapis in Roman religion and the cult of Isis. Tactitis, a senator and a historian of the Roman empire. Because of his senatorial role in the republic, his view may be bias towards the republic of Rome. However he refers to confusion between two (Osiris and Serapis) saying that Serapis “many regard the god himself as identical with Aesculaipus because he cures the sick; so as Osiris, god among these people; still more identify with Jupiter as supreme lord of all things” (F.R Cowell. 1980) The belief in strange cults and deities hallowed back to time immemorially reaching far back beyond the history of Greece and Rome.
The second cult that was introduced to Rome as the empire broadened, was the Cult of Diana, The Diana cult was in worship of the goddess of the hunt, woodlands, wild animals, moon and fertility Diana. Diana was worshipped in Rome and the goddess of childbirth and the patron goddess of wild beasts. The women in ancient Rome would worship Diana in hope that the goddess would help them conceive and give birth. Diana is seen as the many sided goddess, she was associated with the virgin huntress with a bow and arrow. She was also seen as the goddess of childbirth, nursing and healing. Diana was known as the ‘Lady of the beasts’ because of her interaction and protection of the wild beasts. The worship of the Diana cult was wide spread in the ancient world. The cult attracted followers for centuries. In Rome, Diana was the protector of lower classes, particularly the slaves. Festus a Roman historian states that “The ides of August is thought by common peopler to be a festival day for slaves, because on that day Servius Tullius, who was born a slave, dedicated a temple of Diana on Aventine.” (C.M.C Green. 2007. pg 200). The festivals that were held in her name were considered holidays for slaves in Africa and Rome. The slaves were seen so highly in this cult, because the head priest could only be a slave or a fugitive who had killed his predecessor in the forest with a sacred oak bough. Men would fight to the death for the honour of being her priest. For this reason the Diana cult attracted many Romans from different social status’s around Rome. However Diana was not fond of men, she was determined to protect her chastity from men, and keep her virginity and name of the virgin goddess.
The Cults of Isis and Diana would offer the Romans an escape from their ridged form of religion, and would allow the Romans to believe in aspects from the cults that would not be worshipped in the regular religion.
The cult of Isis was a cult dedicated the Egyptian mother goddess Isis. The Egyptian goddess of Earth, wheat and barley. The Egyptian goddess was very interesting to the Romans, hence her popularity. Isis was the central goddess of the Egyptian religions, they saw her as a loving and compassionate deity. Myth illustrate Isis as very popular as she is seen as a motherly figure. She cared for her people, provided fertility and rebirth of crops. The cult came to Rome during the first century BC. The goddess was honoured by a stature in the capitol. The cult was oppressed by the state and the senate decreed for the removal of the statue. The Roman people who worshiped this cult tried again in 53BC, the chapels of Isis were destroyed and the private worship of Isis was forbidden. When a statue of Isis was to be removed “no workman would touch her shrine and a consul himself had to demolish it”. (F.R Cowell. ,1980). F.R. Cowell was an author born in 1897. This quote shows the worship between the Romans and the deity and this shows the worship and dedication of the people to this foreign cult. Cleopatras presence in Rome from 46BC to 44BC led to a renowned interest in the cult of Isis. When Augustus was emperor in 27BC, Cleopatra was associated with the enemy Antony. Augustus wished to see reverence paid to any Egyptian Goddess. Despite Augustus, the Temple of Isis retained its allure. The ban was lifted by Emperor Caligula and integrated back into Roman life, so much so that a huge sanctuary was build in Campus Martius areas of Rome. Ovid, a poet who lived in the first century, makes it clear that “Isis was popular with young women for he advises love-lorn swains to linger near it in hope of making their acquaintance”, (F.R Cowell. 1980) Ovid a poet from Ancient Rome, recalles how her would sue the shrine to meet women. Isis’ worship was associated with that of Serapis (Osiris), chief god among Egyptian deities. Osiris replaced Serapis in Roman religion and the cult of Isis. Tactitis, a senator and a historian of the Roman empire. Because of his senatorial role in the republic, his view may be bias towards the republic of Rome. However he refers to confusion between two (Osiris and Serapis) saying that Serapis “many regard the god himself as identical with Aesculaipus because he cures the sick; so as Osiris, god among these people; still more identify with Jupiter as supreme lord of all things” (F.R Cowell. 1980) The belief in strange cults and deities hallowed back to time immemorially reaching far back beyond the history of Greece and Rome.
The second cult that was introduced to Rome as the empire broadened, was the Cult of Diana, The Diana cult was in worship of the goddess of the hunt, woodlands, wild animals, moon and fertility Diana. Diana was worshipped in Rome and the goddess of childbirth and the patron goddess of wild beasts. The women in ancient Rome would worship Diana in hope that the goddess would help them conceive and give birth. Diana is seen as the many sided goddess, she was associated with the virgin huntress with a bow and arrow. She was also seen as the goddess of childbirth, nursing and healing. Diana was known as the ‘Lady of the beasts’ because of her interaction and protection of the wild beasts. The worship of the Diana cult was wide spread in the ancient world. The cult attracted followers for centuries. In Rome, Diana was the protector of lower classes, particularly the slaves. Festus a Roman historian states that “The ides of August is thought by common peopler to be a festival day for slaves, because on that day Servius Tullius, who was born a slave, dedicated a temple of Diana on Aventine.” (C.M.C Green. 2007. pg 200). The festivals that were held in her name were considered holidays for slaves in Africa and Rome. The slaves were seen so highly in this cult, because the head priest could only be a slave or a fugitive who had killed his predecessor in the forest with a sacred oak bough. Men would fight to the death for the honour of being her priest. For this reason the Diana cult attracted many Romans from different social status’s around Rome. However Diana was not fond of men, she was determined to protect her chastity from men, and keep her virginity and name of the virgin goddess.
The Cults of Isis and Diana would offer the Romans an escape from their ridged form of religion, and would allow the Romans to believe in aspects from the cults that would not be worshipped in the regular religion.