“The most ancient is closest to the gods.”
Cicero
When we think of Roman religion, we usually picture magnificent temples, splendid statues of deities, and adorned streets filled with processions in honor of the gods of the Roman pantheon… However, all of these magnificent scenes do not fit within the framework of early Roman religion that we find in the beginnings of the Republic. Moreover, the names of the deities that we usually associate with the Roman pantheon – Minerva, Venus, Hercules, Castor, Pollux, Apollo, Mercury, Proserpina, Aesculapius, Magna Mater – are not found in its early period as they are a result of a strong Greek influence.
To shed light on early Roman religion to some extent, it is necessary to remove the various layers that have accumulated in contact with different peoples, primarily the Etruscans and Greeks, and later the Egyptians and Orientals, and concentrate on the foundations that make up the ancient customs and rituals of the ancient Latins.
The pater familias, the head of the family, husband, and father, had his own guardian spirit, genius, which was represented by a figure… The lararium was a small shrine within ancient Roman homes dedicated to the household gods. It was usually located near the entrance of the home and was believed to protect and bring good fortune to the family. The lararium was adorned with images of the ancestors or a depiction of a snake, and its role was to connect the family members and the protective spirits. Devotion to these protectors was particularly expressed on the father’s birthday.
The painted wall of the lararium depicts the pater familias with his head covered, as was customary during ceremonies. He holds a box of ritual incenses in his hand. He is accompanied by two lares. The genius, the protective spirit of the pater familias, is represented by a snake.
As the empire expanded, it became more influenced by foreign religions, to which they were generally tolerant. The Romans coined the terms di indigetes (“old indigenous gods”) and di novensides (“newly arrived gods”) to refer to them. However, it is interesting to note that temples were not built for these “newly arrived” gods within the pomerium, the sacred boundary of Rome, until the Second Punic War (218–202 BC), when this changed and the original Roman religion slowly lost its importance.
Early Roman religion provides us with the most information about the ancient Roman religion. It originates from the time of the rule of Emperor Augustus Octavian (31 BC – 14 AD), who initiated the restoration of ancient Roman tradition, as well as from fragments of stone Numine calendars, which help us confirm the presence of certain deities in Rome at that time, and equally importantly, the absence of others. Early Roman deities were mostly associated with agriculture and family life. However, there are very few about whom we know anything more than their names. For example, the priest of the goddess Ceres invoked twelve deities who governed various stages of crop cultivation, from plowing the land to storing the grain: Vervactor, Redarator, Imporcitor, Insitor, Obarator, Occator, Sarritor, Subruncinator, Messor, Convector, Conditor, Promitor… Today, researchers usually group them into “gods of the earth,” “gods of the family,” etc.
The Romans believed that all nature was alive and imbued with spiritual forces, with divine power, strength, and numen always at the forefront, rather than its form. Through simple rituals, they worshipped forests, p Olja, intersections, water sources, fire, etc. The fundamental goal was to achieve harmony between humans and numina, spirits of nature, and to maintain pax deorum or “peace of the gods.”
Daily worship of spiritual forces was extremely important because they believed that their presence either helped or hindered in every activity, both for individuals, families, and the state. In fact, the family, familia, was the concept on which the early Roman Republic was structured and the center of early religious life. Unlike today’s concept of family, this Roman family was extended and included the families of adult sons, dependents, and slaves. The head of the family, pater familias, was its unlimited ruler and at the same time its high priest – just as the king was the father of the state and its high priest.
The female members of the family took care of the household hearth, just as the Vestal Virgins watched over the sacred fire. The fire had to be constantly maintained, so when the family members were preparing for bed, they would They left it smoldering lightly until morning, when they would ignite it again. In addition to tending to the fire, domestic rituals also involved offering small gifts of food and drink, which were left on the edge of the hearth. The fire was only extinguished when the family moved to a new home, where it would be ritually rekindled with the offering of small sacrificial gifts to household deities and ancestral spirits.
Janus, one of the oldest Roman gods, protector of doorways, who was present at every entrance, birth, both of humans, gods, and the world, as well as every action, was equally revered. Like Vesta, Janus had his temple in the form of a covered passage with doors on the Forum. He was especially revered by the male members of the family. All ceremonies began with an invocation of Janus’ name, and ended with an invocation of Vesta’s name.
Lares and Penates
The protective spirits of the family were collectively referred to as Lares and Penates. Their common role was to take care of the family and the household. Near the hearth, there was a pantry called penus, where the necessary food was kept. The spirits who guarded this place, called penates, were protectors to whom the family especially thanked for having enough food and not lacking basic necessities. Although their figurines were located by the hearth, they were tied to the family rather than the place, so they also moved when the family moved. The first fruits were offered to the penates, and daily gratitude was expressed to them during the main meal, with a salt cellar on the table in their honor. The custom of throwing a pinch of salt over the left shoulder is a way of expressing gratitude to the penates. Just as they protected the family food stores, the penates also protected the state granaries.
Throughout the year, there were several celebrations dedicated to the spirits of ancestors: August 24th, October 5th, November 8th, as well as two multi-day celebrations: February 13th-21st and May 9th-13th. The particularly significant celebration was held in February and was called parentalia. Ovid writes that sacrifices were offered during this time. In the form of wreaths of flowers, wheat, salt, wine, bread soaked in wine, and violets, around the family tomb, to strengthen the mutual responsibilities and protective connections between the living and the dead. A feast would also be prepared to celebrate the friendship between the family and its benevolent ancestors.
However, the main protective deity of the family was the lar familiaris. He represented the founder of the family and led a group of family guardian spirits. The lari were originally a group of gods who protected fields and crossroads. Although they were worshipped collectively, at the border between two or more households, each household had its own individual lar. As the care of the household included the protection of the home, the lari became family protective deities. Ovid describes them as nighttime observers, guardians of the family and home. Over time, the lar familiaris became associated with the cult of the dead ancestors (Di manes) because he symbolized the strength inherited from the ancestors, the strength that provided wisdom and guidance. Understanding divine laws and protection in everyday life.
In the beginnings, the lararium depicted the figure of a dog, symbolically expressing the concept of loyalty and devotion, and later as a figurine of a young man with a cheerful expression, wearing a tunic and dancing upright while holding a horn with liquid or pouring wine into a sacrificial plate. These figurines were kept in lararia, which were usually decorative cabinets or beautiful niches near the hearth or entrance of the home. In wealthier houses, lararia were like small temples. Lararia were also a place where other valuable items for the family were kept, such as amulets, talismans, and carefully selected objects. Interestingly, the best-preserved examples of lararia are those in Pompeii.
A lararium from Pompeii.
Regardless of their size, beauty, and decorations, lararia were always a symbol of tradition and family loyalty, as well as religion and state. They were a place for preserving the original Roman religion, which was based on the Roman family. The first duty of a bride In her new home, it was customary to express respect towards these guardian spirits by offering gifts. Over time, this devotion grew into a grand celebration called Larentalia, which was celebrated as a family holiday on December 23rd.
Throughout its long history, new cults, customs, and rituals arrived in Rome, causing the original beliefs to fade, but until its final days, the intimate family worship of the protective deities, Lar and Penates, remained preserved.