Religion and the Roman Empire

The Roman Empire is credited with many things due partially to their ability to share, spread, and adapt culture. Rome was successful because it both conquered and shared the fruits of conquest with the conquered. Religion was one part of the culture that demonstrated the tolerance of Romans. For example, at the time of Jesus' birth, paganism could be divided into three spheres: the official state religion, the traditional cults of the hearth and countryside, and the new mystery religions from the East. Even though the official religion in the Roman Empire began as Pagan, it ended as Christianity when Emperor Theodosius declared it as the official religion in A.D. 380. The following examines two works of fiction that deal with religion during the Roman Empire.

The Golden Ass, by Apuleius, is a story of Lucius who talks his lover, the servant of a witch, into stealing him a potion that will temporarily turn him into an owl. Unfortunately it is the wrong potion and he is turned into a jack ass. The antidote for this dilemma is to simply eat roses, but he is dragged off by robbers before he can eat any. After a full year, and many trials and tribulations, he is finally saved by the Egyptian goddess Isis and immediately starts down the path to become initiated into the deepest mysteries of her religion. The interesting part of this story is the description of the initiation ceremony:

"Then the High Priest ordered all uninitiated persons to depart, invested me in a new linen garment and let me by the hand into the inner recesses of the sanctuary itself, I have no doubt, curious reader, that you are eager to know what happened when I entered. If I were allowed to tell you, and you were allowed to be told, you would soon hear everything; but, as it is, my tongue would suffer for its indiscretion and your ears for their inquisitiveness."

Not being allowed to tell others what the initiation ceremony entailed is just one of the reasons these are called mystery religions. As Buckler, Hill, and McKay put it, "Once [those who joined] had successfully undergone initiation, they were forbidden to reveal the secrets of the cult. Consequently, modern scholars know comparatively little about their tenets". The story of Lucius underscores this point. He describes briefly some of the tasks he must accomplish during the Ð''period of preparation', but does not go into detail as to the initiation ceremony or the tenets of the religion. Without sharing this information, the understanding of this and the majority of these mystery religions died with the last practitioner.

The movie King Arthur also deals somewhat with Roman religion. The movie begins with this direct quote, "Historians agree that the classical 15th century tale of King Arthur and his Knights rose from a real hero who lived a thousand years earlier in the period often called the Dark Ages. Recently discovered archaeological evidence sheds light on his true identity". The movie is trying to portray Lucius Artorius Castus, leader of a band of Sarmatian Knights, as the actual historical King Arthur. As Higham notes, without better information, the candidacy of Lucius Artorius to be the historical Arthur remains in the realm of speculation. Many historians have tried to deduce the origins of the King Arthur stories, and so the authenticity of this claim will not be discussed here. Additionally, the actual Pagan religion these Knights believed or participated in is not divulged in the movie. One can speculate that the Sarmatians may have been Zoroastrian in their beliefs, but the actual religion will not be reviewed here. Instead, the interaction between the Christian Arthur and the Pagan Sarmatian knights he leads will be discussed.