09-12-2008, 12:49 PM
Quote:Yes, I think the Romans were actually quite open to foreign and new cults and religions. Think of the 'evocation,' where they invited the gods of an enemy city to abandon it and come to Rome. One of the best known is in Livy 5.22.3+ where Juno Regina was persuaded to abandon Veii.
This inclusiveness and openness is really quite remarkable when one thinks about it.
I think what bothered some Romans about the early Christians was the Christian exclusivness.
Bringing in new gods or new cults wasnt the same thing as Christianity though. A new god could merely be looked upon as a variation of an existing god. This was quite common. Your Germanic war god was explained to be nothing more than the Roman god Mars operating under a different name.
On the other hand Christianity could be worked into the system by saying their god was just another name for Zeus because part and parcel to the Christian system was the demand that their god was the only god and all others didnt exist.
When you look at this you can easily see how a Roman, who felt that only by honoring the gods could Rome survive, would feel threatened by this new religion.
Timothy Hanna
