Ancient mythology. Features of ancient Roman mythology and religion Female and male images in Roman mythology

Rome adopted mythology from Greece and Greco-Roman mythology turned out.

Folk mythology (pre-Greek) is difficult to recognize. The most famous "Indigitaments" are ritual books. They list the deities of agriculture (sowing, reaping), marriage, conception, life processes, even the deity of the return of the child home! These books were compiled by priests, although such a caste did not exist (during the ceremony, anyone could be appointed a priest). The Roman books were compiled by jurists. In the classical period, the Romans resorted to divination by augurs (fortune tellers by the flight of birds) and haruspices (by the entrails of animals).

For example: birds appear to the right of the capitol - a good sign. Left is bad.

Cicero wrote that this religion of the augurs was spread to the common people, while the senators no longer believed in such nonsense. But they carried sacred chickens with them, which, if they ate well, the war would be successful. Caesar specifically ordered to catch caterpillars so that they would eat well. Caesar declared that he "propitiated"

After the Tarquinian dynasty (Etruscan dynasty), the Romans feared autocracy like the plague. Ancestors (cult of ancestors) are Larry, lived in the hearth or temple of Vesta. Penar (same as larr).

The Romans were monstrously God-fearing people, unlike the Greeks, whose gods were humanoid, Roman mythology is an elemental-demonic religion, the gods do not have any appearance, Vesta was embodied in the form of a flame (and only after the influence of Greece, she acquired a human appearance). The Romans are law-abiding - worship. Rite is a very important ceremony. If someone sneezed during the ceremony, everything started from the beginning, it was impossible to break it. Sometimes the ceremony was repeated 30 times until everything was done perfectly. They were even afraid to name them, they turned to them "holy deity, man or woman, help me in ...".

Spontaneous demonism and mysticism led to the formation and creation of the word "religion" ("religion" - lat. - worship of mystical forces; cult. - lat. - veneration, performance of religious rites).

"Evocation" is a formula for the inclusion of foreign gods of captured tribes in Roman mythology.

The Romans were characterized by "Animism" - the veneration of nature, trees, sources. The oak is a sacred plant, the sacred animal is the wolf.

Pre-classic times - "vluperkarii" - a rite of worship for wolves. Luperks are werewolves. Lupa is the priestess of love. Lupanaria are houses of love. Wolf people. Naked young men ran around the temple with a whip and beat those passing by, whoever the whip touches will be rich in offspring. Mark Antony also performed this ceremony.

Initially, relatives were sacrificed in Rome, then living people were replaced with dolls and fur balls. This is a sacrifice to God on his holiday. Christmas tree is also a sacrifice

A mother who gave birth to a child had to perform special ceremonies to please the gods. The Vatican opened his mouth, the Hindu - helped him eat, Osipaga - looked at his bones to form, Stopan - to walk ...

Goddess of Fever, goddess of pallor, cough, feast of mice and moths.

Blessed Augustine: “Everyone in his house has his own one patron. And the Romans divided the hinges and the threshold for different gods.

Rome sought to adopt a more established and perfect religion, and all the time they looked to the east, to Greece. And gradually, with trade and other reasons, Greek mythology comes to the Romans.

Ceres - A Roman who saw his goddess would fall on his face and get scared. Ceres is the feeling that a farmer sees grown ears in summer. Koons, Flora, were responsible for plants, sowing, etc.

Demeter - goddess giving people bread, the basis of people's lives, could grow cereals and survive. not only gave people agriculture, but also made the Greeks settled and patriots, initially they were nomads. The goddess who bestowed the state system. Man's hope for the infinity of life. Hence Persiphone and the afterlife. The most important archetypal moment. With the birth of Persiphone, the concept of strong maternal love is born.

When Demeter appeared in Rome, they received her with admiration. Gods - humanoid - gave birth to myths, and it was on them that literature was based, it was about them that they wrote. Poets had nothing to write about before coming Greek mythology.

Jupiter Latsiysky - light phenomena of the sky. The Romans were afraid of thunder and lightning. God of thunder and lightning. Became the god of oaths "I swear by Jupiter", contracts. It becomes a kind of mysterious power, and after statehood. He gave according to merit or according to his whim people both good and evil, became the patron of the Roman people.

The idea of ​​being chosen by God is a Roman idea, which subsequently influenced the Jews.

When the Romans found out about Zeus and recognized Jupiter in him, they accepted him, and then his whole family. Juno (Hera) - the patroness of Minerva (Athena) - the patroness of cities. This is the first trinity of the main gods. Iacchus (Dionysus), Flora (Persephone), Ceres (Demeter). the Delian trinity: Apollo - the god of light, reason and arts, Diana (Artemis) - the huntress, Latonna. Libera-liber 9female gods-daughters and male).

The Roman patroness of vegetables, Venus, became the personification of the gods of love, Aphrodite, and began to patronize love. This example epitomizes the difficulty of transferring Greek mythology to Roman. I had to replace their roles with others and “make them related”.

Janus is the god of war. One of the original gods of Rome. It was difficult for the Romans to describe and find a replacement for him.

Sivilina books - (priestesses of Apollo) - predictions. Cassandra, daughter of Priam and Hecuba, becomes one of the Sibyls. Sibyl Cuma (work by Michelangelo). The Sibyls were immortal until they touched their native Earth.

Roman literature of the period civil wars . (2/2 2nd century BC - ½ 1st century BC)

The Roman Republic begins to crack at the seams. At the head of the republic was a council of senators of 300 senators. They talked, voted, and made a decision. Messengers from the war came to the Senate, waited for the senators to decide, then back to the battlefield. And the senatorial republic was already losing its reputation. Then they decided to put two consuls at the head of Rome, who decided the fate of the republic.

Aeneas is the grandson of Aeneas Yul. - Julius the son of Yul (an interpretation about the fact that Rome is not a fig no younger than Greece. And in general, he returned his lands to himself, having conquered Greece, which he lost during the Trojan War). Pantifik Caesar (pantifik is the leader who performs the duties of monitoring the implementation of the rites). The popular Democrat Caesar "buyed" the votes, had the frenzied support of the crowd, and frightened Bibulus (Caesar's conservative rival) with his support. They even joked that there were two consuls in Rome - Gaius and Julius (i.e. one).

Senators united against Caesar (23 stab wounds were found on his body). Caesar accepted his betrayal as a sacrifice to Rome. It was an immediately signed sentence (read Plutarch!).

When Rome turned from a policy into a huge state, history itself pushed Rome towards autocracy. This time of decay covers the whole 100 years - the attempts of the Republicans to revive their former greatness and autocracy. Between them there were armed skirmishes in deciding the fate of Rome. Krakhi - half-lists, relied on the revival of state tribunes (the position is elected - representatives of the people, only plebeians). The stands could decide and do whatever they want. A very strong mechanism of people's power. Clodius Pulchr - from an aristocratic family, also popular, becomes a tribune for money and expels Cicero the senator, who swore that he was the father of the state, with the "plebeian" voice, who swore that he was the father of the state, Cicero was expelled from Rome.

Marius expelled the Germans (even under pain of death they were afraid to give wine, otherwise they would rage, they only drank beer, they called them Germans because of their barbaric cry “Herrrma!”, They were larger than the Romans). Reforms in Rome.

Dictatorship is a military position, during periods of military-political aggravation, civil or at the borders, senators resigned their powers and gave them to the dictator.

Proscriptions are lists of undesirable persons who had to be eliminated without trial or investigation.

The poor people were fed by the state, the Roman generals after the victory arranged a "Triumph" - a free feast and entertainment for the whole people.

A proconsul is a consul who, after his reign, received a province for 5 years. As a result, instead of ruling the provinces. They robbed them to the bone.

Gaius Caesar - takes the province of a beggar, on which he shows his high qualities of a military commander. Starts fighting Gaul. From his province, he extracts a huge strong army devoted to Julius (he participates in all battles, sleeps and eats with the soldiers). In Luke, he unites in the first Triumverate (triple alliance) with Pompey and Crasus. Caesar gave his daughter to Pompey. Krasus dies in the war with the Porthians. Caesar and Pampey, after his death, begin to divide Rome among themselves. Pompey is losing. But as Dictator-Caesar stayed only a year. Then he returned to Rome and was betrayed.

Actovian Augustus, Mark Antony and Mark Lepidus - the second triuvate. The same scenario, at the end Aktovian comes to power.

Major writers of this period:

1. Mark Thulius Cicero (speeches, treatises and letters. 3 volumes of Cicero's letters) - the reverse side of the history of Rome, memoirs, classical prose, an example of eloquence.
2. Titus Lucretius Car (great epic poem, philosophical epic
3. Guy Valery Catul.

Myths, gods, heroes, demons of Hellas and Rome. The word "antique" in translation from Latin (antigues) means "ancient". Ancient mythology, along with biblical mythology, is rightfully considered the most significant in terms of the degree of its influence on the further development of the culture of many peoples, especially European ones. Ancient mythology is understood as the commonality of Greek and Roman myths, therefore, sometimes you can find the term "Greco-Roman mythology", although the Greek mythological system was the basis for the Roman mythological system. The Romans largely borrowed the legends of Hellas, sometimes interpreting the images in their own way and modifying the plots. Thanks to Latin common in Europe and - in lesser degree- the ancient Greek language, ancient myths, were not only widely disseminated, but were subjected to deep reflection and study. It is impossible to overestimate their aesthetic significance: there is not a single type of art left that would not have plots based on ancient mythology in its arsenal - they are in sculpture, in painting, music, poetry, prose, etc. As for literature, A. S. Pushkin said it beautifully at one time: “I don’t think it’s necessary to talk about the poetry of the Greeks and Romans: it seems that every educated person should have a sufficient understanding of the creations of majestic antiquity.”

Greek mythology

Already in the most ancient monuments of Greek creativity, the anthropomorphic nature of Greek polytheism is clearly reflected, which is explained by the national characteristics of the entire cultural development in this area; concrete representations prevail over abstract ones, just as in quantitative terms, human-like gods and goddesses, heroes and heroines prevail over deities of abstract meaning (who, in turn, receive anthropomorphic features). In this or that cult, with this or that deity, these or other general or mythological ideas are connected. Various combinations are known, hierarchies of the genealogy of ancient divine beings - "Olympus", various systems of "twelve gods" (for example, in Athens - Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hestia). Such combinations are explained not only from the creative moment, but also from the conditions of the historical life of the Hellenes.

In the general religious consciousness of the Hellenes, apparently, there was no definite generally recognized dogmatics. The variety of religious ideas found expression in the variety of cults, the external situation of which is now more and more clear thanks to excavations and finds. We will find out which gods or heroes were revered where and which where or where which was revered predominantly (for example, Zeus - in Dodona and Olympia, Apollo - in Delphi and Delos, Athena - in Athens, Hera in Samos, Asclepius - in Epidaurus); we know shrines revered by all (or many) Hellenes, such as the Delphic or Dodonian oracle or the Delian shrine; we know large and small amfiktyony (cult communities). One can distinguish further between public and private cults. The all-absorbing significance of the state also affected the religious sphere. The ancient world, generally speaking, did not know either the internal church as a kingdom not of this world, nor the church as a state within a state: “church” and “state” were concepts in it that absorb or condition each other, and, for example, the priest was the same state magistrate. This rule is not everywhere, however, could be carried out with an unconditional sequence; practice caused particular deviations, created certain combinations. Further, if a certain deity was considered the main deity of a certain state, then the state sometimes recognized (as in Athens) at the same time some other cults; Along with these state-wide cults, there were separate cults of state divisions (for example, the Athenian demes), and cults of home or family, as well as cults of private societies or individuals.

It is difficult to establish exactly when the first Greek myths and legends appeared, in which humanoid gods were revealed to the world, and whether they are the legacy of ancient Cretan culture (3000-1200 BC or Mycenaean (until 1550 BC), when the names of Zeus and Hera, Athena and Artemis are already found on the tablets.Legends, traditions and tales were passed down from generation to generation by Aed singers and were not recorded in writing.The first recorded works that conveyed to us unique images and events were Homer's brilliant poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey". Their record dates back to the 6th century BC. According to the historian Herodotus, Homer could have lived three centuries before that, that is, around the 9th-8th centuries BC. But, being an aed, he used the work of his predecessors, even more ancient singers, the earliest of which, Orpheus, according to a number of testimonies, lived approximately in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC.

By this time, myths about the journey of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece, among which was Orpheus, belong. Modern science believes that a great epic cannot appear unexpectedly and accidentally. Therefore, the Homeric poems are regarded as the completion of a long development of pre-Homeric, long-vanished heroic songs, traces of which, however, can be found in the texts of the Iliad and the Odyssey themselves.

The inaccessible example, which until now is the Homeric epic, not only conveyed to the descendants extensive knowledge about Hellenic life, but also made it possible to form an idea of ​​the views of the Greeks on the universe. Everything that exists was formed from Chaos, which was the struggle of the elements. The first to appear were Gaia - earth, Tartarus - hell and Eros - love. Uranus was born from Gaia, and then from Uranus and Gaia - Kronos, the Cyclopes and the Titans. Having defeated the titans, Zeus reigns on Olympus and becomes the ruler of the world and the guarantor of the universal order, which finally comes to the world after long upheavals. The ancient Greeks were the greatest myth-makers of Europe. It was they who came up with the word "myth" (translated from Greek "tradition", "tale"), which we today call amazing stories about gods, people and fantastic creatures. Myths were the basis of all the literary monuments of ancient Greece, including the poems of Homer, so loved by the people. For example, the Athenians from childhood were familiar with the main characters of "Oresteia", a trilogy of the poet Aeschylus. None of the events in his plays were unexpected for the audience: neither the murder of Agamemnon, nor the revenge of his son Orestes, nor the persecution of Orestes by furies for the death of his mother. They were most interested in the playwright's approach to the confusing situation, his interpretation of the motives of guilt and atonement for sin. It is difficult to appreciate the significance of those theatrical productions, but, fortunately, people still have the sources of many of the tragedies of Sophocles and Euripides - the myths themselves, which retain great attraction even in a short summary. And in our century, people are worried about the world-old story of Oedipus, the murderer of his father; the adventures of Jason, who crossed the Black Sea in search of the magic golden fleece; the fate of Helen, the most beautiful of women, who caused the Trojan War; the wanderings of the cunning Odysseus, one of the bravest Greek warriors; the amazing exploits of the mighty Hercules, the only hero who deserved immortality, as well as the stories of a great many other characters. The Romans, the heirs of the cultural traditions of the Aegean world, equated many Italic deities with the gods of the Greek pantheon. In this regard, the story of the god of fertility, wine and orgies, Dionysus-Bacchus, is interesting. In 186 BC. e. the Roman Senate passed harsh laws against the worshipers of this god. Several thousand people were executed before the cult of Bacchus could be brought into line with moral standards.

Pantheism

The Hellenes deified Pan, the goat-footed, lustful god of nature, who was depicted with a huge erect phallus. It was the phallus that became the symbol of this deity. He was worshiped by the Hellenes in sacred groves and gardens, fountains were arranged in his honor in the form of all the same phalluses; phallic statues, symbols, amulets were widespread; puppets with rising phalluses were obligatory participants in theatrical spectacles, official festivities and traditional processions of farmers around the fields, aimed at increasing the fertility of the land with the help of Pan. A whole host of spirits circled around this god: these are centaurs - the spirits of mountain streams, nymphs - the spirits of meadows, dryads - the spirits of trees, silenes - the spirits of forests, satyrs - the spirits of vineyards, etc.

The agricultural population especially revered Demeter - the "mother of bread", and in imitation of her, who became pregnant from a peasant in the field, a ritual of intercourse was performed right on the freshly plowed land, which had a magical meaning - the impact on the forces of the fertility of the earth. The Greeks revered and feared Artemis, the goddess of wild animals. The urban population honored Hephaestus - the god of crafts, the patron of blacksmiths, as well as Athena, who was not only the goddess of wisdom, but also the patroness of inventors, artisans, especially potters; it was believed that it was she who created the first potter's wheel. The townspeople also singled out Hermes - the god of travel, trade, who protected from thieves; he was considered to have made the first scales, weights, and set the measuring standards.

Cultural figures worshiped Apollo - the god of the arts, and the muses. Sailors made sacrifices to Poseidon, the god of the sea. All Hellenes united in the worship of Zeus - the supreme god, and Moira - the goddess of fate. Temples were built for the gods, majestic statues were erected. It was believed that in sacred times the spirit of the gods entered the statues; therefore, the priests performed the rituals of washing, dressing, eating and sleeping statues; in the days of summer and winter solstice rituals of sacred marriage were performed, when the statue of the god was carried to the house of the first archon, put to bed with the wife of the archon, and the latter, it was believed, could become pregnant from god. In Hellas, throughout its history, animal and human sacrifices were made. Themistocles, contemporary of the 5th century. BC, the most enlightened age of Hellas, strangled with his own hands three most beautiful young men as a sacrifice on the eve of the Battle of Salamis, and he believed that he had won a victory over the Persians only thanks to this sacrifice. In Athens, the most cultured and democratic polis, the crippled, sick, criminals were always kept in special houses. "scapegoats" in the days of disaster and were subject to ritual stoning or burning. On the stage of the Hellenic theaters, the real blood of those tragic heroes who, according to the script, were supposed to die, was shed - at the last moment, instead of the main actor, an understudy was removed from among all the same outcasts, and he died, becoming a victim to the gods. In the Hellenistic period, the cult of sacrifices intensified even more. The phallic cult acquired an unrestrained orgiastic character.

Roman mythology

Roman mythology in its initial development was reduced to animism, that is, the belief in the animation of nature. The ancient Italians worshiped the souls of the dead, and the main motive for worship was the fear of their supernatural power. For the Romans, as for the Semites, the gods seemed to be terrible forces that had to be reckoned with, propitiating them with strict observance of all rituals. Every moment of his life, the Roman was afraid of the displeasure of the gods and, in order to enlist their favor, did not undertake and did not do a single thing without prayer and established formalities. In contrast to the artistically gifted and mobile Hellenes, the Romans did not have folk epic poetry; their religious ideas were expressed in a few, monotonous and meager in content myths. In the gods, the Romans saw only the will (numen), which interfered with human life.

The Roman gods did not have their own Olympus or genealogy, and were depicted as symbols: Mana - under the guise of snakes, Jupiter - under the guise of a stone, Mars - under the guise of a spear, Vesta - under the guise of fire. The original system of Roman mythology - judging by the data modified under the most diverse influences that ancient literature tells us - was reduced to a list of symbolic, impersonal, deified concepts, under the auspices of which a person's life consisted from his conception to death; no less abstract and impersonal were the deities of souls, whose cult formed the most ancient basis of family religion. At the second stage of mythological representations were the deities of nature, mainly rivers, springs and the earth, as the producer of all living things. Next come the deities of heavenly space, the deities of death and the underworld, the deities - the personification of the spiritual and moral aspects of man, as well as various relationships in social life, and, finally, foreign gods and heroes. The deities personifying the souls of the dead included Manes, Lemures, Larvae, as well as Genii and Junones (representatives of the productive and vital principle in a man and a woman). At birth, geniuses inhabit a person, at death they are separated from the body and become manes (good souls). In honor of Juno and Genius, sacrifices were made on their birthdays, they swore in their name. Later, each family, city, state, for protection, had its own Geniuses. Related to Geniuses are Laras, patrons of fields, vineyards, roads, groves and houses; each family had its own lar familiaris, which guarded the hearth and house (later there were two of them). In addition, there were special gods of the hearth (actually the patrons of the pantry) - Penates, which included, among other things, Janus, Jupiter, Vesta. The deities, under whose patronage all human life was in all its manifestations, were called dei indigetes (gods acting or living inside). There were as many as various activities, i.e., an infinite set; every step of a person, every movement and action at different ages were guarded by special gods, lists (indigitamenta) of which were compiled in the 4th century BC. e. pontiffs, with detailed instructions to which deity with which prayer formula and in what cases of life one should address. So, there were gods who protected a person from the time of conception to birth (Janus Consivius, Saturnus, Fluonia, etc.), helped at birth (Juno Lucina, Carmentis, Prorsa, Postversa, etc.), guarded the mother and child immediately after childbirth ( Intercidona, Deus Vagitanus, Cunina, etc.), who took care of children in the first years of childhood (Potina, Educa, Cuba, Levana, Earinus, Fabulinus), the gods of growth (Iterduca, Mens, Consus, Sentia, Voleta, Jnventas, etc. .), patron gods of marriage (Juno juga, Afferenda, Domiducus, Virginensis, etc.). In addition, there were deities of activities (especially agriculture and cattle breeding) - for example Proserpina, Flora, Pomona (Proserpina, Flora, Pomona), and places - for example Nemestrinus, Cardea, Limentinus, Rusina. With the further evolution of mythological ideas, some of these deities became more individualized, others joined their main attributes, and the mythological image became more prominent, approaching the human, and some deities were combined into marriage pairs. At this stage in the development of religious ideas, the deities of nature act - the gods and goddesses of the water element, fields, forests, as well as some phenomena of human life. The deities of the springs (usually goddesses) were revered in the groves and also had the gift of foreshadowing and song, and were also helpers in childbirth. These deities included, for example, Camenae and Egeria - the prophetic wife of Numa. Of the river gods in Rome, pater Tiberinus was worshiped, who was propitiated by the sacrifice of the Argei (they made 27 dolls from reeds that were thrown into the water), Numicius (in Lavinia), Clitumnus (in Umbria), Volturnus (in Campania). The representative of the water element was Neptune, later, through identification with Poseidon, became the god of the sea (from 399 BC).

The gods whose activity manifested itself in nature and life and who had a brighter individuality include Janus, Vesta, Vulcan, Mars, Saturn and other gods of fertility and activity in the vegetable and animal kingdoms. Janus from the patron of the door (janua) became the representative of any entrance in general, and then the god of the beginning, as a result of which the beginning of the day and month was dedicated to him (morning - hence Janus Matutinus) and all kalends, as well as the month of January named after him, as coinciding with the beginning of the arrival of days. He was called upon at the beginning of every work, especially at sacrifices, and was even considered the principium of everything and the father of the gods. The main sanctuary of the god Janus (Janus Geminus or Quirinus) was at the northern end of the forum, opposite the Temple of Vesta. It was an ancient arch that served as an entrance to the forum (atrium of Rome). Its gates were opened in time of war; under the arch was an image of a two-faced god. Another place of his worship was the Janiculum hill, named after him, on which, according to legend, Ankh Marcius erected a fortification to protect the trade route leading to Etruria and the harbours; in this regard, Janus was the patron god of trade and navigation. Matutinus is related to Janus Mater Matuta, the goddess of dawn, the giver of light, an assistant in childbirth, along with Portumn, the guardian of harbors. Vesta personified the fire that burned in the hearth, both public and private. The cult of the goddess was in charge of six virgins, named after her by the Vestals. In contrast to Vesta, who personified the beneficent power of fire, Vulcan or Volcanus was a representative of the destructive fire element. As the god of the elements, dangerous for city buildings, he had a temple on the Field of Mars. He was called in prayers and together with the goddess of fertility, Maya, and was considered the deity of the sun and lightning. Later, he was identified with Hephaestus and began to be revered as the god of blacksmithing and volcanoes. The main deities who patronized agriculture were Saturn (the god of sowing), Kons (the god of harvest) and Ops, the wife of Kons. Later, Saturn was identified with the Greek Cronus, Ops - with Rhea, and many features of the Greek cult were introduced into the Roman cult of these deities. Agriculture and cattle breeding were also patronized by other gods of forests and fields, who symbolized the forces of nature and were revered in groves and at springs. Their attributes and divine attributes were as simple as the very life and environment of their worshipers. For everything that was dear and pleasant to the farmer and cattle breeder, they considered themselves indebted to the deities who sent their blessing. These included Faun, with his wife Faun (Bona Dea), a beneficent god, identified later with King Evander; the run of the priests of the Faun, the Luperks, was intended to bring down the blessing of God on people, animals and fields. Silvan (forest god, goblin), who frightened lonely travelers with prophetic voices, was the patron of borders and property; Liber and Libera - a couple who personified the fertility of fields and vineyards - were later identified with the Greek couple of Dionysus and Persephone; Vertumnus and Pomona guarded orchards and fruit trees; Feronia was considered the giver of a plentiful harvest; Flora was the goddess of prosperity and fertility; Pales guarded pastures and livestock. Diana patronized fertility, which may be indicated by the compatibility of her holiday (August 13) with a sacrifice in honor of Vertumnus. In addition, Diana guarded slaves, especially those who sought refuge in her grove (near Tusculum, near Aricia), helped women in childbirth, sent fertility to families; later she became identified with Artemis, becoming the goddess of the hunt and the moon. The deities who sent fertility also included Mars, one of the most revered national gods by the Italians, perhaps the ancient deity of the sun. Prayers were addressed to him for sending fertility to the fields and vineyards; the so-called sacred spring (ver sacrum) was established in his honor. He was also the god of war (Mars Gradivus); its military attributes (sacred spears and shield) indicate the antiquity of the cult. The totem of Mars, picus (woodpecker), over time became the god of forests and meadows, the patron of agriculture, and was revered, under the name Picumnus, together with Pilumn, the god of threshing. Close to Mars is the Sabine god Quirinus; in later traditions, Mars was made the father of Romulus, and Quirinus was identified with Romulus. More powerful than all the mentioned deities were the gods of heaven and air space, Jupiter and Juno: Jupiter - as the god of daylight, Juno - as the goddess of the moon. The thunderstorm was attributed to Jupiter, as among the Greeks - to Zeus; therefore Jupiter was considered the most powerful of the gods. His weapon is lightning; in ancient times, in special cults, it was even called lightning. He also sent fertilizing rains (Elicius) and was revered as the god-giver of fertility and abundance (Liber). In honor of him, holidays associated with the harvest of grapes were established; he was the patron of agriculture, cattle breeding and the younger generation.

On the contrary, atmospheric phenomena that bring danger and death to people were attributed to Veiovis (Veiovis, Vediovis) - the evil Jupiter; related to Jupiter Summanus (sub mane - in the morning) was the god of night storms. As an assistant in battles, Jupiter was called Stator, as a giver of victory - Victor; in his honor, a board of fetials was established, who demanded satisfaction from the enemies, declared war and concluded agreements with the observance of certain rites. As a result, Jupiter was invoked to confirm the correctness of the word, as Deus Fidius - the god of oaths. In this regard, Jupiter was also the patron of borders and property (Juppiter Terminus or simply Terminus). Jupiter's chief priest was the flamen Dialis; Flamin's wife - flaminica - was a priestess of Juno. The cult of Juno was widespread throughout Italy, especially among the Latins, Oscans, Umbrians; the month of Junius or Junonius was named after her. As a moon goddess, all kalends were dedicated to her; hence she was called Lucina or Lucetia. Like Juno Juga or Jugalis or Pronuba, she consecrated marriages, like Sospita she guarded the inhabitants. The deities of the underworld did not have that bright individuality that strikes us in the corresponding department of Greek mythology; the Romans did not even have a king of this underworld. The god of death was Orcus; along with him, the goddess is mentioned - the patroness of the dead - Tellus, Terra mater - who took the shadows into her bosom. As the mother of lars and mans, she was called Lara, Larunda and Mania; as avia Larvarum - she personified the horror of death. The same religious ideas that created a series of dei indigetes - deities representing individual human actions and activities - called forth a series of deities who personified moral and spiritual abstract concepts and human relations. These include Fortuna (Fate), Fides (Loyalty), Concordia (Consent), Honos and Virtus (Honor and Courage), Spes (Hope), Pudicitia (Shame), Salus (Salvation), Pietas (Kindred Love), Libertas (Freedom ), Clementia (Meekness), Pax (Peace), etc. In the imperial era, almost every abstract concept was personified in the image of a woman, with the corresponding attribute. Finally, there were gods adopted by the Romans from other peoples, mainly from the Etruscans and Greeks. Greek influence was expressed especially strongly after the books were brought to Rome from Cum Sibylline - a collection of Greek sayings of the oracle, which became a book of revelation of the Roman religion. Greek religious concepts and features of the Greek cult firmly established themselves in Rome, either merging with related Roman ones, or crowding out the pale Roman ideas. The struggle of the relief images of the Greek religion with the vague outlines of the Roman ended in the fact that the Roman mythological ideas almost completely lost their national character, and only thanks to the conservative cult did the Roman religion retain its individuality and influence. Among the foreign deities are the Etruscan Minerva (Menrva, Minerva), the goddess of thinking and reason, the patroness of crafts and arts. Through comparison with Pallas, Minerva entered the Capitoline triad and had her cella in the Capitoline temple. The difference between Minerva and Pallas was only that the first had nothing to do with the war. Venus was probably the ancient Italic goddess of charm and prosperity, but in cult she merged with the Greek Aphrodite. Mercury was originally known as deus indiges - the patron of trade (merx, mercatura), but later, through comparison with Hermes, took on the attributes of a Greek god. Hercules (Latin adaptation of Greek Ήρακλής) became known in Rome with the establishment of lectisternia; stories about him are entirely borrowed from Greek mythology. Under the name of Ceres (Ceres) from 496 BC. e. the Greek Demeter was known, whose cult in Rome remained completely Greek, so that even the priestesses at her temple were Greek women. Apollo and Dis pater are also purely Greek deities, of which the latter corresponded to Pluto, as indicated by the comparison of the Latin name with the Greek (Dis = dives - rich = Πλούτων). In 204, the sacred stone of the Great Mother of Ideas from Pessinunt was brought to Rome; in 186 there was already a Greek holiday in honor of Dionysus-Liber - Bacchanalia; then from Alexandria the cults of Isis and Serapis passed to Rome, and from Persia - the mysteries of the solar god Mithra. The Romans did not have heroes, in the Greek sense, because there was no epic; only some individual gods of nature, in different localities, were revered as the founders of the most ancient institutions, unions and cities. This includes the most ancient kings (Faun, Peak, Latin, Aeneas, Iul, Romulus, Numa, etc.), portrayed not so much as heroes of wars and battles, but as organizers of states and legislators. And in this respect, the Latin legends did not take shape without the influence of the Greek epic form, in which a significant part of the Roman religious material was clothed in general.

A special characteristic feature of these heroes was that, although they were presented as prehistoric figures, they did not end their lives with death, but with the disappearance of who knows where (this included the term non comparuit). Such was, according to legend, the fate of Aeneas, Latinus, Romulus, Saturn, and others. The heroes of Italy do not leave offspring, as we see in Greek legends; although some Roman surnames originated from heroes (Fabia - from Hercules, Julia - from Ascanius), no genealogical legends were created from these traditions; with their echo, only a few liturgical hymns and drinking songs have survived. Only with the penetration of Greek forms and ideas into the Roman spiritual life did Roman genealogical legends develop, compiled and distributed, for the sake of the Roman aristocracy, by Greek rhetoricians and grammarians who found shelter in Rome as guests, friends and slaves: teachers and educators. The Roman gods were more moral than the Greek ones. The Romans were able to discipline all the forces of man and turn them to one goal - the exaltation of the state; in accordance with this, the Roman gods, guarding human life, were the defenders of justice, property rights, and other human rights. That is why the moral influence of Roman religion was great, especially during the heyday of Roman citizenship. We find praise of the piety of the ancient Romans in most Roman and Greek writers, especially in Livy and Cicero; the Greeks themselves found that the Romans were the most pious people in the whole world. Although their piety was external, however, it proved respect for customs, and on this respect rested the main virtue of the Romans - patriotism.

Literature

Legends and tales of ancient Greece and ancient rome, -M.: Pravda, 1988

Ancient mythology (“antigues” from Latin “ancient”) had a huge impact on the cultural development of many peoples, especially European ones, who were the direct heirs of the Hellenic culture. The concept of ancient mythology includes Greek mythology, as well as Roman mythology, which was later formed on its basis. Ancient myths became quite widespread and were subjected to deep study and interpretation, largely due to the fact that they were recorded in Latin, which Europe was well versed in (ancient Greek was less common).

In addition, there is not a single type of art that would not have been influenced by ancient mythology: many paintings, sculptures, theatrical performances and works of art were created and continue to be created by the authors directly on the plots of Greek and Roman myths or under the influence of Greco-Roman mythology in general. . Greek mythology and Roman mythology carry a powerful charge of philosophical, ethical and aesthetic understanding of life, posing questions to humanity that are still relevant.

Meanwhile, Greek mythology and Roman mythology have their own specific features. Let's give a brief description of each.

Greek mythology.

What is typical for any mythological system, Greek mythology seeks to know and comprehend the world around us, to reveal the laws of its existence, to give an explanation of natural phenomena and to answer questions about the origin of the world and man.

The diversity of life around gave rise to the concept of polytheism in the minds of the ancient Greeks. There are supreme Greek gods living on Mount Olympus, headed by the formidable and wise Zeus, the holder of lightning. Each god or goddess is the patron of a certain sphere of human activity (there are patron gods of fertility, war, hunting, love, etc.). At the same time, the Greek gods are carriers of many human character traits and passions: manifestations of love, friendship, anger, hatred are not alien to them; many of them do not hesitate to weave intrigues against each other. Thus, the Greek gods were close to people, and their actions were understandable to man.

The earthly world of the ancient Greeks was inhabited by various mythical creatures, who were also carriers of human qualities. The Greeks believed that dryads and satyrs lived in forests, nymphs and oceanids lived in lakes and seas, and oreads were guardians of mountains. Many other fairy-tale characters, such as centaurs or harpies, can be found in the vast and diverse world of nature. Some of these creatures are evil and negative towards a person, others sympathize with him and try to help.

Ancient Greek myths and legends, with colorful and intriguing plots, tell about the life of gods and people, poeticize the heroic past and give an ethical and aesthetic charge of understanding life. Some myths are combined into cycles. There are cycles devoted to the relationship of the gods and the creation of the world and man, cycles about the exploits of heroes and military events.

Roman mythology.

Roman mythology was largely formed on the basis of Greek mythology, but initially the religious beliefs of the ancient Romans were based on animism - the deification and endowment of the soul with objects of the natural world. The Roman gods were not close to man, they rather acted as some formidable and terrible forces, the location and support of which could be earned through worship and special rituals. The Roman did not start a single business without a prayer appeal to the gods, however, it sometimes had a formal character, and was caused by the fear of incurring divine disgrace.

It should be noted that the myths of Ancient Rome are not as poetic as the Greek ones: with the main emphasis on the plot and event line, Roman myths reflect the religious ideas of the people of that time without any special artistic frills.

The Roman gods did not have their own Olympus, were not connected by ties of kinship, and often acted as symbols. For example, a stone symbolized the god Jupiter, fire was associated with the goddess Vesta, Mars was identified with a spear. Under the unspoken patronage of such images-symbols, with which the Roman gods were identified, the whole life of a Roman passed from birth to death. The spirit-deities that inhabited nature (forests, mountains, reservoirs) were also impersonal and abstract. The deities inhabiting the heavenly space, the spirits of death and the afterlife, the deities that were embodied in the moral qualities of a person were distinguished. Heroes and foreign gods were the last to be revered by the ancient Romans.

Around the end of the 6th - beginning of the 5th centuries, the borrowing of Greek gods by Roman mythology begins. First of all, the Romans adopted the cult of Apollo and the cult of Dionysus, then there was a gradual assimilation of other religious and philosophical ideas of Greek culture.

Gradually, a myth began to form about the divine origin of the Roman emperor and his power (the beginning of these ideas was laid by Scipio Africanus). It was generally accepted that the emperor is a representative of the divine will on earth and enjoys special divine protection (Caesar, Antony, Sulla, etc. were proclaimed as such). After death, the emperors were destined for a special place in the afterlife and eternal bliss. A special attitude was formed towards the generals, they also enjoyed the grace of the gods. At a time when the people were excluded from participation in public affairs, and moral decay affected the very top of power, the myth of the divinity of the ruler lost its relevance.

The value of Roman mythology, according to scientists, is expressed in the preservation and popularization of the ancient Greek mythological system. It is thanks to the works of Roman poets and sculptors who develop Greek plots that we have the opportunity to get an idea of ​​​​the primary source - the achievements of Ancient Greece in the field of culture and art.

It is somehow customary for everyone to combine the mythology of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It seems, well, what else can be found among the Romans, who only knew what to give foreign gods new names? Zeus - Jupiter, Hera - Juno, Ares - Mars, Aphrodite - Venus, just remember, and that's it!

But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and you can try to dive even deeper.

Who told?

It is extremely difficult to judge the most ancient period of Roman mythology, because scientists have to rely on much later sources.

However, the priestly books "Indigita-cops" are quite famous. Official records of the life of the ancient Roman communities have been preserved, records of ancient Greek authors in response to events in Hesperia (as they called ancient Italy), hymns of the colleges of the Arval brothers, etc.

The main sources are considered to be the first treaties of Rome with other cities and states, records of the college of pontiffs (priests), as well as records of the main events of each year, which later became known as annals (lat. annus - year).

However, Virgil's Aeneid, Livy's history books, Ovid's Fasts, and the fourth book of Propertius are considered to be the main sources.

Cosmogony and gods

For a long time it was believed that Roman mythology at the initial stage of development was reduced to animism. The worship of the souls of the dead was due to the fear of their supernatural power, as well as the worship of animated natural phenomena. The Romans never started or finished business without securing the favor of the gods, without performing all the prescribed rites, without offering prayers and without making the necessary sacrifices.

It was believed that the Romans distinguished only benevolent or unfavorable non-personalized forces - numina (numina), and there were a great many of them: the deity of sowing and growth, flowering and marriage, harvest and conception, walk and return, etc., and their names were formed from the name of the action being performed.

Moreover, it was also believed that even the few personal gods that arose later did not have an anthropomorphic incarnation, but only symbols: for example, Jupiter is a stone, Mars is a spear, Vesta is fire.

In the primitive communal period, the cult of ancestors, revered in every clan, was of great importance: penates, patrons hearth and clan, and lares, patrons of the house, family and the entire community as a whole.

However, although the ancient cosmogony of the Romans still remains a mystery, gradually researchers began to find evidence that Roman mythology itself went through approximately all the same stages of development as that of other peoples in the primitive communal period.

The most ancient triad of deities was determined: Jupiter (who supplanted the original creator of the world, Janus) - the embodiment of religiosity and priesthood, Mars - a military hypostasis, Quirinus - an economic hypostasis.

Janus and Vesta guarded the doors and the family hearth, the Lares guarded the field and the house, Pale the pastures, Saturn the crops, Ceres the growth of cereals, Pomona the tree fruits, and Kone and Opa the harvest.

In addition, according to the conclusions of scientists, the Romans believed that people, as a clan, descended from sacred trees, oaks, and therefore groves were dedicated to each numina deity, where rituals were performed and sacrifices were made, and the trees themselves played a very important role in life. states. For example, sacrifices were made to the oak on the Capitoline Hill, and the withering of any fig tree, the tree under which, according to legend, the she-wolf fed the future founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, was perceived as an extremely formidable and unfavorable sign.

Since the cult of animals was highly developed, the interpretation of their behavior and the study of the sacrifices, or, more simply, fortune-telling, so common in ancient Rome, acquired great importance.

Justified ... by the state

What is the originality of Roman mythology in comparison with other mythological traditions?

If you think about it, it becomes obvious that most of the oldest myths about gods have not survived, they were gradually but steadily replaced by myths about heroes.

The very structure of Roman society, in which individual communities sought to unite into large urban conglomerates, in which politics played an increasingly important role every century, and the state became an intermediary between the citizen and the gods - this is the originality of Ancient Rome.

The myths that tell about heroes are a reflection of the deep mutual penetration of history and myth in the minds of the Romans. Human life is filled with divine presence, every moment of it a person is responsible for his actions.

And if they are done for the benefit of the community, then the gods are pleased with you.

Such are the myths of the Sabine women, Numa Pompilius, Lucretia, Scaevole, Coriolanus, and many others.

Of course, it cannot be denied that Roman culture constantly absorbed the culture of the peoples surrounding it. Yes, the Romans renamed and adopted almost the entire Greek pantheon, made many borrowings from the Etruscans and other peoples, but there was a very simple reason for this. Rome was a military state, constantly expanding its territories through conquests and assimilating the culture of the conquered peoples.

Roman heroic myth explained the past, justified the present, and directed the future. Despite some initial primitiveness, he made a person's life filled with meaning: serving the fatherland.

And what is the end?

The Roman religion, open and constantly changing under the influence from outside, simply could not develop a single concept of the end of the world.

Like any military state, Rome was doomed to a gradual decline and destruction, or to an indispensable transformation. Roman mythology, having gone through various stages of development - from the adoption of the Greek pantheon to the formation of the cult of the emperor, eventually became ... a certain basis for the victory of Christianity as a religion.

The myth of the Roman left-hander

In 509 BC. e. The Etruscan king Lare Porsenna declared war on Rome. A huge army invaded the territory of the country and approached the capital closer and closer. A little more - and Rome would have been taken by storm.

Then one of the young Roman patricians, Gaius Mucius Kord, decided to infiltrate the Etruscan camp and kill their king. Guy knew the Etruscan language and, dressed in the clothes of enemies, easily entered the camp, but could not understand which of those sitting at the main tent was King Porsenna. He could not ask, for fear of betraying himself.

Then the young man decided that the most elegantly dressed person was the enemy ruler. He attacked him and stabbed him with a dagger. But alas! It turned out to be just one of the king's courtiers, the biggest lover of outfits and jewelry.

Gaius Mucius was immediately arrested, but refused to answer questions. Then he was threatened with torture. Seeing a tripod with a blazing fire, the young man himself went up to it, put his right hand into the flame and silently, without making a sound, looked at Porsenna until his hand was charred.

Amazed by the courage and incredible stamina of the patrician, Porsenna exclaimed: "If all the Romans are so steadfast, then it is impossible to defeat them." He released Mucius, who from then on began to bear the nickname Scaevola (Lefty), and decided to start negotiations for a truce.

The mythology and religion of the Romans were greatly influenced by neighboring peoples - the Etruscans and Greeks. But at the same time, the legends and myths of ancient Rome have their own identity.

The origin of Roman mythology

It is difficult to determine the date of the emergence of the religion of ancient Rome. It is known that at the end of the II - the beginning of the I millennium BC. e. there was a migration of Italics (as the peoples who inhabited it before the formation of the Roman state were called), who for several centuries settled in Italy and then assimilated with the Romans. They had their own culture and religion.

In 753 BC, according to legend, Rome was founded. From the 8th to the 6th centuries BC e. the tsarist period lasted, when the foundations of the public-state and religious life of the empire were laid. The official pantheon of gods and the myths of ancient Rome developed around this period. Although it should be noted right away that with the conquest of new territories by the Romans, they willingly included foreign gods and heroes in their mythology and religion, so the list of deities and legends was constantly updated.

Distinctive features of the religion of ancient Rome

As in Greece, there was no strict organization of doctrine. The gods and myths of ancient Rome were partially borrowed from neighboring countries. The difference between the Roman religion and the same Greek was significant.

If for the Greeks a deity is, first of all, a personality with its own, quite human, character traits, then the Romans never represented the gods in the form of anthropomorphic creatures. At the very beginning of the formation of their religion, they could not even name their gender. The Greeks imagined their pantheon of divine powers as a large family in which scandals and disagreements constantly occur between relatives. For the Greeks, the gods are individuals endowed with supernatural powers and possessing ideal qualities. Therefore, a halo of myths was created around them.

The attitude of the Romans towards the deities was different. The world in their view was inhabited by entities hostile or favorable to the world of people. They are everywhere and constantly accompany a person. The myths of ancient Rome say that before growing up, a boy or girl was under the protection of a large number divine beings. It was the god of the cradle, the first steps, hope, sanity and others. As they grew older, some deities left the person, while others, on the contrary, took him under their care - these are the six gods of marriage, good luck and health, wealth. The dying man was accompanied on his last journey by as many higher beings as at birth: depriving of light, taking away the soul, bringing death.

Another one distinguishing feature Roman religion - its close connection with the state. Initially, all religious rites associated with the life of the family were performed by its head - the father. Later, many family and tribal festivities acquired state significance and turned into official events.

The position of the priests was also different. If in ancient Greece they stood out as a separate group of the population, then among the Romans they were civil servants. There were several priestly colleges: vestals, pontiffs and augurs.

The religion and ancient myths of Rome were mixed. The basis is the original Roman deities. The pantheon of gods included borrowed characters from the Greek and Etruscan religions and personified concepts that appeared much later. These include, for example, Fortuna - happiness.

pantheon of roman gods

The Romans originally had a special relationship with the gods. They weren't connected family relationships, like Greek deities, they were not myths. for a long time refused to give their gods character traits and appearance. Some of the stories about them were eventually borrowed from the Greeks.

The ancient myths of Rome say that the list of Roman gods was very extensive. This included Chaos, Tempus, Cupid, Saturn, Uranus, Oceanus and other deities, as well as their children, the titans.

The third and fourth generations became the main ones in the pantheon and were represented by 12 gods. They are brought into line with the Olympians by the Greeks. Jupiter (Zeus) - the personification of thunder and lightning, Juno (Hera) - his wife and patroness of family and marriage, Ceres (Demeter) - the goddess of fertility. Minerva and Juno were borrowed from the Etruscan religion.

The Roman pantheon also included personified beings who became gods:

Victoria - Victory;

Fatum - Fate;

Libertas - Freedom;

Psyche - Soul;

Mania - Madness;

Fortune - Luck;

Juventa - Youth.

The most important for the Romans were agricultural and tribal deities.

Influence of Greek mythology

The myths of ancient Greece and Rome are very similar, since the Romans learned a lot about the gods from their close neighbor. The process of borrowing begins at the end of the 6th - beginning of the 5th centuries. The opinion that the 12 main deities of Olympus were taken by Rome and received new names is completely erroneous. Jupiter, Vulcan, Vesta, Mars, Saturn are primordially Roman deities, later correlated with Greek ones. The first gods borrowed from the Greeks were Apollo and Dionysus. In addition, the Romans included in their pantheon Hercules and Hermes, as well as the Greek gods and titans of the first and second generations.

The Romans had many deities, which they themselves divided into old and new. Later, they created their own pantheon of the main gods, taking as a basis a host of Greek higher powers.

Myths of ancient Rome: a summary. gods and heroes

Since the mythological fantasy of the Romans was poor, they adopted many legends from the Greeks. But there were also primordially Roman myths, later superseded by Greek ones. These include the story of the creation of the world by the god Janus.

He was an ancient Latin deity, the gatekeeper of Heaven, the personification of the sun and the beginning. He was considered the god of gates and doors and was depicted as two-faced, since it was believed that one face of Janus turned to the future, and the other to the past.

The servants took pity on the little ones and put them in a trough, which they set afloat on the river. The water that stood high in it sank and the trough landed on the shore under the fig tree. The cries of the children were heard by a she-wolf who lived nearby with her brood and began to feed the babies. The shepherd Faustul once saw this sight and took the children to his home.

As they matured, the foster parents told the brothers about their background. Romulus and Remus went to Numitor, who immediately recognized them. Having gathered a small detachment with his help, the brothers killed Amulius and declared their grandfather king. As a reward, they asked for land along the banks of the Tiber, where they found their salvation. There it was decided to lay the capital of the future kingdom. During a dispute over whose name she would bear, Remus was killed by Romulus.

Heroes of Roman myths

Most of the legends, except those borrowed from the Greeks, tell of characters who performed feats or sacrificed themselves in the name of the prosperity of Rome. These are Romulus and Remus, the Horace brothers, Lucius Junius, Mucius Scaevola and many others. The Roman religion was subordinated to the state and civic duty. Many myths were epic and glorified heroes-emperors.

Aeneas

Aeneas is the founder of the Roman state. The son of the goddess Aphrodite, a friend of Hector, the hero - the young prince fled with his little son and father after the fall of Troy and ended up in an unknown country where the Latins lived. He married Lavinia, the daughter of the local king Latinus, and together with him began to rule the Italian lands. The descendants of Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, became the founders of Rome.

Myths of ancient Rome for children - the best books for young readers

Despite the abundance of books, it is difficult to find decent literature on the study of the myths of ancient peoples. Standing apart here is a work that was created exactly 100 years ago and is still a standard. N. A. Kun "Myths of Ancient Rome and Greece" - this book is known to a huge number of readers. It was written in 1914 specifically for schoolchildren and all connoisseurs of the mythology of ancient peoples. The collection of myths is written in a very simple and at the same time lively language, and is perfect for a children's audience.

A. A. Neihardt compiled an interesting collection of Legends and Tales of Ancient Rome, which provides concise information on Roman gods and heroes.

Conclusion

Thanks to the fact that the Romans borrowed Greek gods and myths, these legends have survived to this day. Creating works of art on their basis, the ancient Roman authors preserved for posterity all the beauty and epicness of Greek and Roman mythology. Virgil created the epic "Aeneid", Ovid wrote "Metamorphoses" and "Fast". Thanks to their labors modern man now has the opportunity to learn about the religious ideas and gods of the two great ancient states - Greece and Rome.