ProQuest Dissertations - Historia Antigua

Roman religion, there was also no religion completely independent of this need for publiccelebration. 106Although Roman religion in the early and middle Republic was open to theimportation of new gods, the correct ritual practices needed to be maintained in order topreserve the pax deorum. Ando describes this aspect of Roman religion as an 'empiricistepistemology:' "cult addressed problems in the real world, and the effectiveness ofrituals... determined whether they were repeated, modified, or abandoned." 107Due to theencompassing nature of Roman religion, there were significant ritual and divine elementsthat the Romans shared with the Etruscans, Latins, and Greeks. This began even in thelate monarchy and early Republic, when individuals were able to move between Etruscanand Latin communities while preserving their social status; it is only a small step fromhuman mobility to the importation of gods, which became a distinctively Romanpractice. 108Ando agrees that one essential aspect of Roman religion was that it was "ofand for a political community or body of citizens, one that included both humans andgods." 109Despite the diverse origins of Roman gods and rituals, all worship requiredstrict orthopraxy to maintain the good will between man and god. Considering that theRoman and Latin colonists in Italy gradually occupied the territory of the Latins,Etruscans, and Greeks in Magna Graecia, at any time the colonists may well have foundsome familiar aspect of religion among the local populations. Thus, it is overlyrestrictive to posit a distinct Roman state cult which the Romans imposed on theircolonies.106 Ibid., p. 194.107 Ando (2003), p. 11.108 Bradley (2006), pp. 164-167.109 Ando (2003), p. 3. Ci.Cic.Nat. D. 1.115-16 and North (1976).32