Download Roman Religion Fact Sheet

Roman Religion Fact Sheet
The Romans

were polytheistic

liked to take on new gods

their main gods were the Greek gods re-named

they had a temple called the Pantheon in Rome which was dedicated to any gods the
Romans might have forgotten to venerate

they worshipped at temples, which were modelled in design on Greek temples

only male citizens were able to go to the temple - even then only priests went

inside the temple

worship in the home was important; the Romans worshipped at their larariums - mall
shrines

here they worshipped the goddess Vesta, and the Lares and the Penates - each day
they left a small daily offering

the imperial cult - the worship of the emperor - was the only religion imposed on
conquered peoples - it was meant to act as a unifying force through the Empire
The Celts

worshipped outside at special places like trees, streams etc. - these were called
nemetons

they were polytheistic

the Druids controlled religion - as well as education and war

the Druids led the resistance to the Romans and were forced to retreat to Anglesey
Mithras

was a sun-god from Iran

was worshipped by soldiers and merchants - but it was a men only religion

Mithras had tamed creation (in the shape of a
bull) and had two helpers - Cautes (the
dawn) and Cautopates (the dusk)

evil is symbolised by a scorpion

his worship was very popular in London
Christianity

began after the death of Jesus Christ and because of the fact that the Empire was a safe
place to travel around and communications were good the new religion spread very
quickly

it reached Britain in the late second century

little evidence remains of early Christian activity in Britain

Christians had to worship in secret because the Romans believed that they were cannibals
(a misunderstanding of communion) and also they refused to worship the Emperor

persecution was especially strong under the Emperors Nero and Domitian

in 313 Constantine passed the Edict of Toleration which allowed Christians to worship
freely and in 375 Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire

at a meeting held in Rome in 314 we know that 3 British Bishops attended; from York,
Lincoln and London
Roman Southwark

the founding of Southwark is almost entirely due to the Romans

In London, the Romans constructed Watling Street – a major road between Canterbury
and London and was linked to the Roman Bridge approach road which followed the line of
Borough High Street

Another Roman road was Stane Street somewhere near Borough Underground
Station. It’s route is followed by Newington Causeway and Kennington Park Road
and led south

Much of Roman Southwark was low-lying land – it was a series of small sandy islands
surrounded by mudflats

In the crypt underneath Southwark Cathedral, a group of sculptures were discovered
thrown in a well. One was the hunter god which is displayed near the archaeological pit in
the Cathedral

In 2011, Network Rail discovered the remains of a Roman bath house on the south-bank.
A statue of a Roman hunter
god discovered underneath
Southwark Cathedral
Part of a Roman mosaic pavement.
Discovered in the churchyard of the
Cathedral in Victorian times