Roman Worship, Rites, and Religious Practices

Worship, Rites, and Ceremonies

The Organization and Division of Space

Organizing an activity space was filled with religious significance. Before founding a city, they opened a circular pit called mundus. This was the main reference point around which to chart the city's perimeter. It was a well-demarcated sacred space protected by the gods. Inside, they could not bury the dead or penetrate armed.

The Organization and Division of Time

The Romans established a calendar that distributed days based on their auspicious or adverse conditions. Annals days were those in which they could develop all sorts of human activities with the approval of the gods. The harmful days were those when activities could not be performed because the gods had not agreed to it. The central moment of the month was called Ides.

Priests

Religious offices were filled by major figures in public life. Schools were organized within the priesthood. The most important was that of the Popes, who possessed supreme authority and controlled the religious calendar and activities. Vestal Virgins also held prominence, women in charge of monitoring the sacred fire of Vesta. Flamines were priests serving a particular god and responsible for their worship. There were also specialists in interpreting the signs that reflected the will of the gods, such as the augurs and haruspices.

Religion in Hispania Romana

The Romans did not impose their religious beliefs in the conquered territories. However, the gradual introduction of the Roman presence through the legions of Italic and Roman colonists who settled on the peninsula, and the founding of cities, contributed to the spread of Roman cults throughout the country. The extension of the Roman cities involved the creation of places of worship typically Roman. The spread of Roman religion in Hispania was very uneven. Thus, in regions like the south and east, there was a gradual assimilation of the new Roman gods with the gods worshiped in those places. The most revered gods in the Peninsula were Jupiter and Diana.

Emperor Worship

The Roman religious phenomenon with increased visibility in the Peninsula was the cult of the emperor. This took root in Hispania in a special way because of the existence of indigenous institutions such as loyalty.