Welcome to Gaia! ::

FAQ
Q: The Romans practiced animal sacrifice...so how do you go about that if you are following the religion strictly?
A: Reconstructionists adhere to the same laws as any other person. We practice in a modern context, which means unless it is permitted legally, we don't do animal sacrifice. Not to mention many of us live in urban settings and don't have access to the equipment, or the type of animal that would have to be sacrificed. (besides I'm vegan anyways whee )

Q: So you do Roman reenacting then?
A: Not all Roman Reconstructionists are Roman reenactors. Many are, but not all.

Q: You must have to be smart or a historian to follow the religion then since you base it all on scholarly texts.
A: Wrong. Anyone can follow this path. As we uncover more and more information, more is easily accessible to the public to use. There are many websites that help those who don't have the access, or time, to do the intense research it requires.

Q: Don't you have to know Latin?
A: No you don't. Many followers of Religio Romana (roman religion) know Latin, but it is not a requirement. The Gods will hear you even if you speak in English or whatever your native tongue is. However, the Gods do love it when you speak to them in Latin. Many roman reconstructionists try to learn Latin. Some of us, like myself, learn it because we're History majors and have to learn Latin for our minor wink

Deities
There are the Dii Consentes (12 main dieities) but worship is not just allowed to just them. More on that later. THE DII CONSENTES!

-Iuppiter is the God of the sky, moon, winds, rain and thunder, who became king of the Gods after overthrowing his father Saturnus. The ancient name of Iuppiter was Diespiter, whose root is Dios (= Zeus, God) + Pater (= Father). As Iuppiter Optimus Maximus, he is the tutelary God of Rome. As a warrior, he is Iuppiter Stator, protector of the City and State who exhorts soldiers to be steadfast in battle.

-Iuno is Iuppiter's sister, wife and queen of the Gods, is the protectress of the Roman State. Her festival, the Matronalia, is celebrated in March on the Kalends. She is also honoured as Iuno Lucetia, celestial light; Iuno Lucina, childbirth, in which the child is brought into light; Iuno Sospita, who protects labor and delivery of children; Iuno Moneta, whose sacred geese warned Rome of an impending invasion. Iuno Moneta's temple was near the mint, thus her name was the root for "money".

-Minerva, Goddess of wisdom and learning, meditation, inventiveness, accomplishments, the arts, spinning and weaving, and commerce. Minerva was identified with Pallas Athene, bestower of victory, when Pompey the Great built her temple with the proceeds from his eastern campaigns. Minerva and Mars are honored Quinquatras, five days at the Spring equinox.

-Vesta is the Goddess of hearth and home, of domestic and religious fire. Because of this, she is worshiped daily at the hearth.

-Ceres is the Goddess of agriculture.
-Diana is the Goddess of the Moon and of wild places, the Divine Huntress, protectress of women and virgin Goddess. In earlier times, She was the mother Goddess of Nature.
-Venus was originally a Goddess of Spring, flowers and vines. By order of the Sibylline Books a temple on Mt. Eryx was dedicated to Venus as the Goddess of love and beauty. She was also Venus Genetrix, mother of the Roman people through Her son Aeneas, Who was also an ancestor of the Julii
-Mars is the God of war, was originally an agricultural God whose character changed with that of His people. For this reason, he is the most Roman of the Gods, representing the abundance of the fields, and the battles that must be won to keep and enlarge the provinces that kept Rome fed and thriving.
-Mercurius is the God of commerce.
-Neptunus is the God of all the fresh water (from rivers, springs, etc.) and of equestrian accomplishments. Equated to the Greek Poseidon, He is also the God of the sea.
-Volcanus, the God of the fire of the sky, the lightning and the fires caused by it, he is the raging fire (opposed to the domestic fire, Vesta). He was equated to the Greek Haephestus, God of the fire, forge and volcanos. As a Nature God, he was married to Maia, Goddess of Spring. Equated to Haephestus, he made Iuppiter's thunderbolts and married to Venus
-ApolloGreek God of the Sun, prophecy, archery, music, poetry, inspiration and healing, perfection of male beauty, twin brother of Diana.


Oh but there are others that are worshiped in the household?
Oh yes. The Romans put a high value on family which then made the family and household religion to be very important in life. Rituals, offerings, and prayers were preformed in the house at the lararium (altar) and At the founding of Rome, the gods were numina, divine manifestations, faceless, formless, but no less powerful. The idea of gods as anthropomorphized beings came later, with the influence from Etruscans and Greeks, which had human form. Some of the Roman Gods are at least as old as the founding of Rome.

The concept of numen continued to exist and it was related to any manifestation of the divine. For the Romans, everything in Nature is thought to be inhabited by numina, which explains the big number of deities in the Roman pantheon, as will be shown. Numina manifest the divine will by means of natural phenomena, which the pious Roman constantly seeks to interpret. That's why great attention is paid to omens and portents in every aspect of Roman daily life." Because of this, there are times when it is necessary to preform rituals and prayers outside.


"But what better characterizes the traditional Roman Religion is the household or family cult of the Dii Familiaris. In this cult, the Lar Familiaris (guardian spirit - Genius - of the family), the Lares Loci (guardian spirits of the place where the house is built), the Genius of the paterfamilias (House-Father), the Dii Penates (patron gods of the storeroom), the Dii Manes (spirits of the deceased) and a multitude of other domestic deities are daily worshipped by the members of the family. The household cult is so important that it even serves as the model for several practices of the state cult (e.g. there were the Lar Praestites, Penates Publici, etc.. Even during the Empire, the Imperial cult came to be based on the household cult, now interpreted as the cult of the Genius of the Emperor, paterfamilias of the family of all the Romans)."

There are tons of other Gods and Goddesses that whole books are dedicated to...but I'm not going to get into that because I still have to learn myself!

Kalends, Idus, Nones, and other Holidays

Oh holidays holidays. Romans LOVED their holidays and festivals. So much that some holidays (such as Saturnalia) were extended even LONGER than what it originally was just so they can eat and drink and be merry! There are too many of them to list here SO I will go by a few basic ones that every good Roman should know.

There are 3 main days that are accompanied by rituals:
Kalends is on the first of every month. You can preform the ritual in the morning or evening, however you must fast before you preform it...so I suggest waking up earlier than normal to do it so you can eat. Of course, shower and cleanse yourself like any good Roman would do.
Kalends is sacred to Iuno Regina (Iunno Queen of the Gods) and is preformed at the lararium (household shrine).

Idus is either on the 13th or 15th of the month. As with Kalends, it is preformed at the lararium and is sacred to Iuppiter Optimus Maximus (Jupiter Best and Greatest) and is to be done at sunrise or sunset.

Nones is on the 5th or 7th of each month and is sacred to Iuno Covella (Iuno of the Hollow Moon). Again, it is preformed at the lararium either at sunrise or sunset.

Unlucky Days- Oh yes. Unlucky days. Friday the 13th doesn't adhere to the Romans. However the 2nd of each month does as does the 14th or 16th, and the 6th or 8th. So basically, the day after Kalends, Idus, and Nones are unlucky days. You are not to call upon the Gods, preform any prayers, rituals or offerings. You are not to say a God of nature's name while outside, or a home God's name while inside. In fact, it's just safe to not say their names at all the entire day. If you do, be prepared to do a LOT of begging and apologizing.

Saturnalia!
Oh Saturnalia. What some of you may know as Christmas, Yule, Winter Solstice..or whatever your wintery holiday may be. Fill your home with smells of cinnamon and greens and colors of green, red and gold everywhere because we are rejoicing over the time which Saturn gave plenty to us so we didn't have to labor for or food and clothes. Saturnalia is the time for gift giving, feasting, drinking, more feasting, more drinking, some role reversal. Slaves were treated as Kings, served by their masters. Children were able to humiliate their parents as they would have been. The slaves and children could say what they wanted because during the time of Saturnalia, they had free speech. There are some rituals to be done during that time but most of all..have fun. This holiday was loved so much that it was changed once from a 3 day holiday to a 5 day holiday and again from a 5 day holiday to a 7 day holiday. It starts December 17th and ends December 23rd. Schools, businesses, and the government was all shut down during this time. As well, there could be no declare of war. Gambling wasn't looked down upon at this time as well. It was time to have a little fun!

Myths about death and the afterlife

What happens when we die? The story goes that when a person dies you are escorted to the River Styx by spirits. There you are met by the ferryman, Charon. Hopefully your relatives and loved ones have placed a coin under your tongue or on your eyes after you die because without it you are screwed. You need that coin to pay Charon. This payment is not representative of money so much as of the relationship between god and man, acknowledging your debt to the Gods and their protection and guidance to you.

As you get to the other side of the River Styx you will pass Cerberus, the three headed dog. Don't worry, he's friendly..unless you try to escape the underworld.

Then you will go to the three judges, Minos, Rhadamanthos and Aeacus and they will ask you to account for your life. Then you will drink the water of the River Lethe which is the river of forgetfulness and you will forget about your past life.

You will be sent to the Elysian Fields (a version of paradise) if you've been a warrior or hero; The Plain of Asphodel, if you've been a good citizen, where you will continue to live a good life as a shade; or — if you've really offended the gods — to Tartarus, where you'll be punished by the Furies until your debt to society is paid. Don't worry, there is no eternal damnation. Although it can be a pretty long time in Tartarus depending what your crime is.

Every once in a while, Dis (the God of the Underworld) or Persephone, the Queen of the Underworld, will take a candidate and send him or her back to live again, especially if the deceased was unjustly murdered. He is given the Water of Forgetfulness and sent back across the Styx (with a treat for Cerberus).

Some believe that the time period to stay in the Underworld is 40 years.

Don't forget that Dis is NOT the God of death and does not decide who lives or dies, that is determined by the Three Fates. Dis does however, send the Gods of Death, Mors or Thanatos to do his duty.