The Cults of the Roman Empire

by Robert Turcan

This book is about the multiplicity of gods and religions that characterized the Roman world before Constantine. It was not the noble gods such as Jove, Apollo and Diana, who were crucial to the lives of the common people in the empire, but gods of an altogether more earthly, earth level, whose rituals and observances may now seem bizarre. As well as being of wide general interest, this book will appeal to students of the Roman Empire and of the history of religion.

Genres: History, Religion, Nonfiction, Classical Studies, Cults, Mythology, Ancient History

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[David Withun · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Mary Overton]

One of Turcan's themes is how the Eastern cults provided a bridge from impersonal, remote classical religion to the personal salvation religion of Christianity.

"An uncrossable frontier had formerly separated the immortal and happy Olympian gods from humankind, which was obviously mortal and unhappy. But Dionysus, Attis and Osiris themselves had undergone mutilation, suffering and death; and they had triumphed over it." [pg. 22]

"In space as well as time, the cosmic and sovereign gods of the Hellenized East in some way gave their worshippers an unrestricted prospect, while remaining close to their all-too-human preoccupations. These gods were simultaneously personal, personally attentive to the fears or aspirations of individuals, and universal, responsible for the immense terrestrial and supraterrestrial world, which inexpressibly surpassed them. More intimately and constantly present than the gods of the classical pantheon in the heart of their worshippers, but endowed at the same time with a boundless power that was without either geographical or potential frontiers, each was all things to all men in the great Everything over which they had sovereign domination." [pg. 26]

Increasingly during the imperial Roman era "the vast majority of Roman citizens did not live in Rome, were not ethnically or physically linked with Rome, took no part in the affairs of the city.... Rome was the great political and legal fatherland, cosmopolitan and generous, but it was no longer a 'city' properly speaking: it was an idea. The imperial regime released the ordinary citizens from their political obligations. They decided nothing, no longer voted (since Tiberius) for the election of magistrates, no longer deliberated on the affairs of the URBS. This void was favourable to the formation of marginal groups. Where the individual no longer plays an active, direct and personal part in the running of the city, he inevitably loses interest and seeks responsibilities elsewhere, in other solidarities, other 'fraternities'. Religious micro-societies and 'mystery' sects assure him of a kind of reintegration and existence, when traditional frameworks and institutional authorities are in decline or failing in their mission.

"Even those with official, administrative responsibility, in the emperor's service (civil servants, officers, soldiers transferred to distant postings, the borders of the Sahara, Scotland or the banks of the Rhine), needed transportable gods, mobile or mobilizable, cosmic and omnipotent, who could journey beyond the indigenous and localized horizon of the classical religions. They needed cults in which they knew one another and met together to share the same ideal, the same sense of the world and life, the same bread. There is no strong grouping without the solidarity of the sacred and the secret, which preserves the singularity of the brotherhood, its moral cohesion and its loyalty." [pg. 17]

[Napollyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Turcan's The Cults of the Roman Empire is a high-quality resource for those interested in pre-Christian religion in the Roman Empire, despite its imperfections. The author used his sources mostly well, and his descriptions of each cult indicate the geographical range as well as the spiritual depth inherent in each. In all, I believe the author succeeded in his goal of providing an overview of the pre-Christian cults of the Roman world and their impact on the eventual dominance of Christianity in the Empire. However, I do think that the author could have made the book slightly easier to read. In terms of the author's qualifications, Robert Turcan is a very distinguished scholar of Roman history and has certainly proven himself in his realm of academic study. He is undoubtedly a well-read person and has ample knowledge of the subject. So it is crucial to remember also that the book was originally written in French and translated into English by Antonio Nevill, which also may be a partial cause for the troubled readability. In conclusion, I would recommend The Cults of the Roman Empire to anyone with an interest in Roman religion, but the reader must be prepared to dive deep and examine each cult, not to mention make individual judgments regarding each of the ancient cults along the way.

[Bruce Morton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turcan is careful and not prone to sensational conclusions. However, he also does a good job of characterizing the mass-appeal of the ancient mystery religions during the Roman Imperial Period.

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good, if somewhat basic, introduction to the Roman concepts of religion from the earliest times to the empire. Recommended for anyone with a serious interest in the cultus deorum Romanorum.

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early Roman Kings - Bob Dylan