Photos from the Art Institute

I am finishing my final projects for this semester but I know you are all dying to read another blog post! So here are some photos of Greek, and (mostly) Roman art I have taken during my trips to the Art Institute in Chicago, IL!

This is a rare bronze statue of the Greek God Dionysus. This is the centerpiece of the exhibit. The Roman honored this God as Bacchus, and it is widely agreed He is the same God. He was also associated with the native Roman god Liber. Hail Dionysus!

This is a bust of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He is regarded as the last of Rome's five "good Emperors." He was also a Stoic philosopher, and his Meditations are still available for those who want to understand that philosophy.

Antinous, the lover of the Emperor Hadrian, and deified God as Osiris. Osiris is the Egyptian God of the afterlife, death, life, and resurrection. In modern Western culture, Antinous is recognized as a gay god, and the exploration of gender identity.

This photo was not taken at the Art Institute. This is Ceres, the Roman Goddess of agriculture, grain, fertility, and motherhood. If you are in the financial district of downtown Chicago, She is located next to the Chicago Board of Trade. They should also add a statue of Mercury.

This is a statue of a Roman. He is holding a scroll of some kind. What is really neat about this statue is how the sculptor depiced all of the folds in his toga, the details on his sandals. All of these statues are amazingly lifelike. 

As the caption reads, this is the Emperor Julian dragging a captive by the hair. What it doesn't say, is he was the last Pagan emperor of Rome. He tried to restore Paganism as the religion of the Roman Empire. Had he succeeded, perhaps history would have been different. 

This is another bust of Antinous. The head of this bust broke in half and became separated, but when both pieces were discovered to be part of the same sculpture, casts of each were made and they were able to create this bust by piecing them back together. Unfortunately, the Antinous exhibit is over, and I am not sure where these sculptures are on display today. 

This is the head of a bearded Roman.

There are many other pieces of Greek and Roman artwork at the Art Institute. I have a thing for sculpures, but they also have many, many Greek vases and other types of pottery. There are also several mosaics, which are interesting in themselves. Of course, there is art from all over the world in the museum, and it is well worth the price of admission. This is the most beautiful museum in Chicago.

I have been reading the Nature of the Gods by Cicero. It is a philosophical dialogue between three individuals who hold differing positions and follow different schools of philosophy. Velleius argues the Epicurean position, Balbus takes the Stoic position, and Cotta takes the position of academic skepticism. His role is to criticize the viewpoints of the other two. I have read through the first book, which covers the Epicurean position on divinity.

A first century AD bust of Cicero in the Capitoline Museums, Rome - Wikipedia Commons - Public domain

According to Epicurean position, we know Gods exist because most of humanity believes they do. The gods are made of a type of atoms which is so fine it somehow transmits the images of the Gods to our minds directly, and because of that most of humanity has an idea that they exist. That is why we can form pictures of them in our minds. Velleius argues that if all people naturally agree on an idea, that idea must be true. And since most of humanity agrees that Gods exist, that is good evidence that they do in fact exist. He argues that the Gods must be shaped in human form because that is the most beautiful shape in existence. He also argues that Gods possess virtue and virtue can’t exist without reason, and that only the human form is capable of reason. He argues that there must be an infinite number of Gods. He also argues that the Gods must be inactive. The Gods are blessed, and it is impossible for something to be blessed if they are plagued with hard work. So, the Gods are free from any duties and spend their time in relaxation and contemplation. They do not interfere in the world. The world was created through natural processes and did not need a creator. Because they do not interfere in human affairs, humans should not fear them.

Cotta had many criticisms for this philosophy. Not everyone believes in Gods, so the argument that Gods exist because people agree that they do is invalid. Cotta did not believe in atoms, but argues that if the Gods are composed of them they must not be immortal. He argues that humans believe their own shape is the most beautiful because animals are only attracted to their own kind – a wolf would find the form of another wolf to be the most beautiful. And furthermore, not all humans are beautiful! Painters and sculptors depict the Gods in human form because of convention, and not all nations see their Gods as human shaped. And if the Gods are human shaped that means that some Gods and Goddesses must be more beautiful than others, which must not be the case. Cotta argues that the Planets, Stars, and Sun demonstrate a form of intelligence and Gods might take their shape. Cotta ridicules the notion that the Gods have arms and legs and various organs but have no apparent use for them because they are inactive. He also points out that people have images in their minds of beings other than Gods, some of which never existed. He ridicules the idea that Gods who do not do anything can experience the range of pleasures that even humans can do. Gods composed of atoms must be mortal, and therefore cannot be blessed. Cotta concludes by arguing that Gods who do not interfere in the world and do not help humanity do not deserve to be revered by humans. Why sacrifice to beings who will do nothing in return?

The Gods did seem to have supported the Roman cause for as long as the Romans sacrificed to them. Livy contains many examples of signs and prodigies that had to be expiated, and when they were ignored, lead to disaster. The Gods can show their approval or disapproval through these signs. When the Romans started actively suppressing the old religion, their empire collapsed not long after. In my opinion, the Western Roman Empire fell because the Gods withdrew their support of the Roman state.

In my own life I have had a few experiences of praying to certain Gods or Goddesses, and getting exactly what I asked for. And my general luck has seemed to have improved since I started worshiping them. He did not prove that the Gods exist. Today monotheism is the predominant view of deity and I do not support that viewpoint. I do believe that most people have a sense that there is more to this world than meets the eye, but it has not been conclusively proven. But my own experience is highly suggestive, for me, that Gods exist and will help those who acknowledge them.

            

The rest of Cicero’s work discusses the Stoic position. It might be a while before my next blog post because we are getting towards the end of the semester, and I haven’t been reading the material as much as I would like. Until then.

Basic Principals of the Roman Religion

I have just finished reading John Scheid’s book, An Introduction to Roman Religion. The book covers many aspects of this ancient religion, but for this blog post I would like to discuss the ideas presented in the first few chapters

The Temple of Apollo in Pompeii. Mount Vesuvius is to the far left. Uploaded by Markos90 Wikipedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pompei_5058.jpg 

One of the most important principles is that it is non-dogmatic. There is no orthodoxy. Although it would not make sense for an atheist to practice these rituals, Roman pagans did and still do hold many different ideas of who and what the Gods and Goddesses are. And although modern Romans hold the texts that survive from ancient Rome in high esteem because of what they can tell us about Roman society and religion, they are not considered to be revealed texts in the same way that Christians hold the Bible. Instead, they are respected because of what they can tell us about the ancient practice of the religion. In this, they are largely consistant. The Roman religion is orthopraxic. What matters is that the rituals are carried out correctly. It is a traditionalist religion but is also open to new ideas and new Gods from the various regions the Romans interacted with and/or conquered. Although Roman rituals were to be carried out a certain way, Romans were free to view the world and the Gods in any way they wished. Romans were also free to worship whatever Goddesses or Gods they wanted, even if they were outside of the Roman pantheon.

The religious obligations of individuals had to do with which families they belonged to, whether or not they were citizens, and the occupation and social status of individuals. If one’s social status changed, their religious obligations would change as well. “There was in fact no such thing as ‘Roman religion’, only a series of Roman religions, as many Roman religions as there were Roman social groups” (Scheid, 19). It was a social religion. There was no moral code. The religion was not aimed at the salvation of the individual, rather for the well-being of the community. Although the Gods can and do help individuals, they help those individuals as members of the community. This aspect is worth further investigation. Most modern Cultores are practicing as solitaries, and although may be members of online groups, are most likely the only members of their real-world communities who practice this religion. I believe that being a member of a group is important, and I would recommend the Roman Republic http://romanrepublic.org/ and the Cultus Deorum Facebook group. Sometimes I have questioned the practice of praying and offering sacrifices on behalf of my family, which are not pagan, but that is the traditional practice. They have not objected to it, however. Traditionaly, this responsibility was to be carried out by the head of the household. I fulfil this responsibility as the only member of my household that follows this tradition. I myself have asked for help, for example, getting into school, finding a job, etc. As a librarian, I do want to help my community, and try to frame it in that way, but I ask for these things as an individual, not as a member of a community. Ideally, there would be enough Cultores in a given area to form a small community and to carry out these rituals.

And finally, it was a polytheistic religion. The Romans also had slightly different definitions of religious terms than modern Christians do. The term religio, often translated as religion, was defined by Cicero as "scrupulous or strict observance of the traditional cultus". It had to do with cultivating the correct social relationship with the Gods by celebrating the proper rituals. Scheid defines other terms including superstitio, which was an irrational fear of the Gods and slavish behavior to win their favor. Sacer, sacrum referred to ownership. Something that is sacer belongs to a God or Goddess Anything that is  not sacer is profanes. Something that is Religiosus is marked by death. Something that is Sanctus (holy) is something that is a religious offense to violate. Piety had to do with proper relationships and attitudes between people as well as the Gods. Impiety was the opposite of piety

The rest of the book describes how this religion was practiced in Rome, in ancient times, when the majority of free citizens were cultores. When this path is large enough where we can start building temples and having public rituals, the information we have on the ancient Roman religion will be invaluable. Modern Romans follow the Numa tradition, so there is no blood sacrifice. The book describes the parts of a Roman temple and what there function is. How Romans organized time, and the various festivals that took place during the year. Scheid describes how the Romans would carry out a sacrifice, and the different parts of a ritual. And finally, he summarized how the Romans themselves interpreted their religion.

This is a dense academic book and is not light reading. However, if one is serious about following this tradition, this should be required reading. My next book on my reading list is De Natura Deorum, (On the Nature of the Gods) By Cicero.

Roman mythology

Hi, my name is Tiberius Gracchus and this will be my first blog post. For the last several years I have been studying Roman civilization in my spare time, with a special emphasis on religion. I am a member of several Roman reconstructionist groups and have been observing their posts in order to practice the religion in the correct way. The following post concerns Roman mythology, as opposed to Greek mythology. Contrary to what many believe, the Romans had a great deal of their own myths, which were separate from those of the Greeks. Jenna Rose from Cultus Deorum commented that many of the stories the Romans told about their Goddesses and Gods came from the tribes that eventually became Rome, " the ancestors of the Roman people when they referred to by the region from whence they came." 

 Janus, the God of doorways and new beginnings, Vatican Museum.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a9/Janus1.JPG/1280px-Janus1.JPG

Perhaps the most well-known Roman myth is told in the Aeneid. The Aeneid is an epic poem similar to the Oddesey that tells the story of how Aeneas, the son of the Goddess Venus, his elderly father, and young son journeyed from Troy, which was sacked and burned by the Greeks, to Italy, having many adventures along the way. Juno opposes him along the way. Most famously, Aeneas had an affair with Dido, queen of Carthage, which Juno saw as a way to prevent him from reaching Italy. Aeneas had to break up with her because Jupiter said it was his destiny to found a great empire. He visits the Underworld and his now deceased father shows him his destiny and that of Rome. When he gets to Italy there are more battles to be fought, but eventually, everything works out. Aeneas marries Lavinia and becomes the ancestor of the Romans. 

According to Livy Aeneas founded a city called Alba Longa and his son Ascanius, also knowns as Iulus, a legendary ancestor of Julius Caesar became the first to succeed him.  There are a series of Alban kings, each with their own legends until it eventually leads to Numitor. Numitor was meant to be the king of Alba Longa but was exiled by his brother Amulius. Numitor's daughter was forced to become a vestal virgin to prevent any descendants of Numitor. However, she was visited by the God Mars and gave birth to twin sons Romulus and Remus. In the famous story about the founding of Rome Amulius ordered the twin brothers drowned in the Tiber River but the plot did not succeed. The river guided them to safety, they were suckled by a she-wolf, and eventually discovered by a shepherd and his wife. When  they grew up they became leaders and eventually restored Numitor to power. Rather than live under Numitor, they decided to found a new city. The new city wasn't big enough for the both of them, and Romulus killed his brother Remus. 

There are other episodes in the Romulus myth, including the rape (or abduction) of the Sabine women, and the settlement of the Sabines at Rome, with their king Titus Tatius ruling jointly with Romulus until his death. Romulus was succeeded by Numa Pompilius who was said to have been responsible for many of Rome's religious institutions. 

Unlike in Greek religion, the Romans did not tell as many fantastical stories about their Gods but did write about their divine influence in the course of history. Many of these instances are recorded in Livy. One such instance is when Rome was being occupied by the Gauls. When the Gauls were climbing up the Capitol, where the Romans were, Juno's Sacred Geese started honking and alerted Marcus Manlius who realized they were being attacked. That is why we honor Juno Moneta or Juno the Warner. Thanks Mikey Frenzie. 

There are many more myths I could mention, but that will be for another time. I will relate these stories as I come across them.