Public Morality and Social Legislation non-source notes
Traditional Roman values →
• Piety and traditional religion.
• Women’s modesty.
• Family values – marriage and legitimate children.
• Patriotism.
• Austerity.
• “Courage, justice, clemency and piety”.
Factors threatening traditional Roman values →
• New religions (Christianity, Judaism, sceptical philosophers)
• Adultery, sexual freedom, fewer marriages.
• Excess wealth (due to expansion and conquest), leading to excess spending on
luxuries – such as excessive eating/feasting.
Attempts to deal with factors threatening Roman values →
• Augustus’ marriage legislation
• Sumptuary laws against extravagance.
• Expulsion of Jews and philosophers from Rome, persecution of Christians.
Importance of religion →
• Correct worship ensures safety & success of Rome, health of emperor, etc.
• Sacred buildings as well as temples, e.g. pomerium.
• Building and restoration of temples emperors – honour gods & demonstrates piety.
• Emperor as Pontifex Maximus – sacrifices and rituals.
• Emperors worshipped as gods outside Rome generally, and posthumously.
• Festivals as form of structure in city?
• Festivals meant celebrations, holidays, often games, theatrical performances, feasts.
Foreign cults →
• Some cults specifically imported and promoted, except Caligula’s Temple of Isis
(Campus Martius) – un-Roman.
• Generally suspicious of Eastern cults – some regulated and/or banned.
• Judaism: sometimes respected because of history, sometimes persecuted, e.g.
Tiberius.
• Christianity: first persecuted as Jewish cult, then on own; refuse to sacrifice, so
danger form gods.
• Astrologers and ‘magicians’ often exiled.
• Worshipped by immigrants, some Roman converts, women especially (apparently).
Traditional Roman values →
• Piety and traditional religion.
• Women’s modesty.
• Family values – marriage and legitimate children.
• Patriotism.
• Austerity.
• “Courage, justice, clemency and piety”.
Factors threatening traditional Roman values →
• New religions (Christianity, Judaism, sceptical philosophers)
• Adultery, sexual freedom, fewer marriages.
• Excess wealth (due to expansion and conquest), leading to excess spending on
luxuries – such as excessive eating/feasting.
Attempts to deal with factors threatening Roman values →
• Augustus’ marriage legislation
• Sumptuary laws against extravagance.
• Expulsion of Jews and philosophers from Rome, persecution of Christians.
Importance of religion →
• Correct worship ensures safety & success of Rome, health of emperor, etc.
• Sacred buildings as well as temples, e.g. pomerium.
• Building and restoration of temples emperors – honour gods & demonstrates piety.
• Emperor as Pontifex Maximus – sacrifices and rituals.
• Emperors worshipped as gods outside Rome generally, and posthumously.
• Festivals as form of structure in city?
• Festivals meant celebrations, holidays, often games, theatrical performances, feasts.
Foreign cults →
• Some cults specifically imported and promoted, except Caligula’s Temple of Isis
(Campus Martius) – un-Roman.
• Generally suspicious of Eastern cults – some regulated and/or banned.
• Judaism: sometimes respected because of history, sometimes persecuted, e.g.
Tiberius.
• Christianity: first persecuted as Jewish cult, then on own; refuse to sacrifice, so
danger form gods.
• Astrologers and ‘magicians’ often exiled.
• Worshipped by immigrants, some Roman converts, women especially (apparently).
