Ancient Roman Religion

Activity 1 – Gods and Religious Beliefs

Created by Patrick Goodman for Ancient History Encyclopedia

Essential Questions  How did religion play a part in the daily life of a Roman and
Roman society?
 Where did Roman religious beliefs come from, and did they
evolve over time?

Objectives  Highlight keywords to find articles in order to understand

secondary source, in-depth
 Improve students research and reference skills
 Analyze an image, using previously acquired knowledge and
research done

Needed Materials and  Worksheet included

Information  Computers according to school policy
 Something to show/project a video to the class
 Articles:
o https://www.ancient.eu/article/34/roman-household-
spirits-manes-panes-and-lares/
o https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Religion/
o https://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Mythology/
 Video:
https://youtu.be/-9lT2-0s71A?t=10 (Roman Ghost Story)
 Optional students tips and marking grids:
https://www.ancient.eu/edu/printables/

Ancient History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. If you found this resource helpful, please
donate to help us produce more free materials: https://www.ancient.eu/donate/edu/

1
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Lesson Gods and Religious Beliefs
Plan

Instructions
One to two class periods needed, including the wrap-up activity. It could be less if students are required to
complete some parts at home.

 For these activities, you can decide if students will work individually, in groups, or
as a class.
 There are four separate sections of this activity. Each section has directions to help
guide students to the information they will need to answer the questions for those
sections. All answers are found in the text or video and students are encouraged to
cite their answers directly from the text or video when applicable.

 You can also organize stations for this activities. Each article or video being one
station, you would need to split your class into four groups. If it leaves you with too
large groups you could split them into 8 groups and have two stations for each
media/activity.
 When the students are done collecting all the data and answering questions, you
could sum-up briefly the answers and/or hand them out the answer keys, included
at the end of this pack.

2
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Lesson Gods and Religious Beliefs
Plan

Wrap-Up Activity / Open Question

 At the end of this activity, you could wrap-up the lesson with a short essay or
discussion to get your students to think a bit more broadly about religion and the
evolution of religious belief. 
 Write on the board: “What can a change in religious beliefs tell us about changes happening
in early Roman society?”

 Then, ask them, in groups of five or six, what do they actually think of that
statement. To get the conversation going, you can draw attention to the two friezes
showing Romans engaged in farming and battle respectively.
 You can decide if students will work individually, in groups, or as a class. 

 Direct students to have at least three references to text, video, or audio from the
sub-section’s activities to bolster their opinion.

 If a difference of opinion occurs, students can roleplay being in the Roman public
forum - where oratory debate was the rule of the day - and argue their thoughts and
beliefs. 
 This wrap-up activity can be done as an assignment or homework. If so, do not
hesitate to check out our website for tips for your students on how to write and draft
an essay and a marking grid for you: https://www.ancient.eu/edu/printables/.

3
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Lesson Gods and Religious Beliefs
Plan

To Go Further

 Encourage your students to consider reasons for a society to change its gods. Find
below an introductory list of questions you can pose to your students to further
their thinking on the subject.
o Could Mars becoming a god of war have been an early form of military
propaganda? 
o Using the activity’s readings, students can research how many other Roman
gods were connected with war, and how this fits with the polytheistic belief of
many gods for all of life’s issues. 
o For a modern connection, WWI and WWII propaganda posters are an
excellent visual source for finding potential similarities in societies
transforming laborers into warriors. 
 Is changing religious belief an effective way to change social thought? If so, what is it
about religion which makes it so effective? 
o Using the activity’s readings, students can discuss how Romans connected so
much of their daily life to spirits and gods alike. Or how Rome’s strict
adherence to religious ritual neatly connects with military discipline. 
o For a modern connection, students can research how religion - from societal
norms to armed conflicts- is still used to shape modern societal actions and
beliefs.  

 What does early Rome’s transformation from an agricultural society to a warrior

society tell us about the world at that time? Was it done out of a necessity to defend
Rome or to defeat Rome’s enemies? 
o Using the activity’s readings, students can discuss what they know about
Greek and Etruscan societies, especially in light of each culture’s religious
beliefs. For instance, Greeks saw themselves aligned with the gods in a
cosmic war between good and evil. This could be connected with standing
against neighboring and foreign enemy states.
o

4
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Worksheet Gods and Religious Beliefs
Name Date

1) Read an article on early Roman spiritual life that would be practiced in the
home and answer the following questions.

 Enter ancient.eu into your address bar

 Click onto the search bar at the top of the page
 Type in the keywords roman and spirits, then press enter
 Under results, click on the article that best fits your needs 
 If you have found the article “Roman Household Spirits: Manes, Panes and Lares” by Joshua J.
Mark, read all about the spiritual life in a Roman household

a) During what daily activity would Romans bring out statuettes of Panes?

b) What is the major difference between a Lare and Parente?

c) What could turn a Lare into a Lemure?

d) What is the Roman symbol for genius?

2) Open a new tab to watch Invicta’s animated retelling of a Roman ghost story
by the philosopher Athenodorus on Youtube (starting at 0:10):
https://youtu.be/-9lT2-0s71A?t=10

Based on the above, what opposite action turned the Lemure back into a Lare?

5
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Worksheet Gods and Religious Beliefs
Name Date

3) Return to the initial article, Roman Household Spirits. At the end of the
article, there are links to further reading.

 Click on or scroll down to Related Content

 Click on the article Roman Religion by Donald L. Wasson
 Read the beginning section ‘Early Beliefs and Influences,’ and answer the questions below

a) As cultural exchange between Rome and surrounding Greek colonies evolved, how
did the nature of Roman gods change?

e) Similar to the Greek influence, what types of religious rituals did the neighboring
Etruscans bring to Rome?

4) Click on the link “Roman Mythology” at the end of the section “Early Beliefs
and Influences” . Read the first section, “The Purpose of Myths” in the article
“Roman Mythology” by Donald L. Wasson and answer the questions below.

a) Referencing an above question, how did the anthropomorphism of the gods help the
Romans?

6
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Worksheet Gods and Religious Beliefs
Name Date

5) Skip down to a later section in this article by pressing CTRL+F (CMD+F on

Macs) and enter “gods and goddesses” to take you immediately to the section
“Roman Gods and Goddesses”. Using the information in this section, fill in
the following chart on Roman gods. The first one has been completed for
you, as an example:

Roman God or Synchronized with…, similar to…, Etruscan or Greek influence?

Goddess or no change?

a) Jupiter Synchronized with Zeus Greek

b) Apollo

c) Faunus

d) Pluto

e) Janus

f) Juno

g) Mars

h) Minerva

i) Neptune

j) Saturn

k) Venus

i) Vesta

7
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Open Question Changing Religious Views
Name Date

As early Rome came into contact with other cultures, Rome’s religious views began to
change. The god Mars, for instance, went through an especially interesting change. He was
initially one of the triad; vital to Roman farmers as the god of agriculture. Mars soon
transformed to the god of war.

What, if anything, does this change in Mars hint to us about possible changes in Roman
society? What could have been happening in Rome’s history or society to change an
agricultural god into a god of war?

8
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Answer Keys Worksheet

1) Read an article on early Roman spiritual life that would be practiced in the
home and answer the following questions.

 Enter ancient.eu into your address bar

 Click onto the search bar at the top of the page
 Type in the keywords roman and spirits, then press enter
 Under results, click on the article that best fits your needs 
 If you have found the article “Roman Household Spirits: Manes, Panes and Lares” by Joshua J.
Mark, read all about the spiritual life in a Roman household

f) During what daily activity would Romans bring out statuettes of Panes?

During Meals.

g) What is the major difference between a Lare and Parente?

Lares were the spirits of one’s ancestors of the past.

Parentes were the spirits of one’s immediate family (deceased father, mother, etc.).

h) What could turn a Lare into a Lemure?

If proper offerings and prayers were not made satisfactorily.

i) What is the Roman symbol for genius?

The snake.

6) Open a new tab to watch Invicta’s animated retelling of a Roman ghost story
by the philosopher Athenodorus on Youtube (starting at 0:10):
https://youtu.be/-9lT2-0s71A?t=10

a) Based on the above, what opposite action turned the Lemure back into a Lare?

The bones were collected and buried - and/or - the ghost was duly laid.

j)

9
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Answer Keys Worksheet

7) Return to the initial article, Roman Household Spirits. At the end of the
article, there are links to further reading.

 Click on or scroll down to Related Content

 Click on the article Roman Religion by Donald L. Wasson
 Read the beginning section ‘Early Beliefs and Influences,’ and answer the questions below

b) As cultural exchange between Rome and surrounding Greek colonies evolved, how
did the nature of Roman gods change?

Roman gods changed from being animistic to more anthropomorphic.

k) Similar to the Greek influence, what types of religious rituals did the neighboring
Etruscans bring to Rome?

Interpretation of omens - and/or - Consultation of a diviner or haruspices.

8) Click on the link “Roman Mythology” at the end of the section “Early Beliefs
and Influences” . Read the first section, “The Purpose of Myths” in the article
“Roman Mythology” by Donald L. Wasson and answer the questions below.

Referencing an above question, how did the anthropomorphism of the gods help the
Romans?

Romans were able to see themselves in these tales, understand their relationship with the
rest of the world, and their connection with the gods.

10
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Answer Keys Worksheet

9) Skip down to a later section in this article by pressing CTRL+F (CMD+F on

Macs) and enter “gods and goddesses” to take you immediately to the section
“Roman Gods and Goddesses”. Using the information in this section, fill in
the following chart on Roman gods. The first one has been completed for
you, as an example:

Roman God or Synchronized with, similar to, or Etruscan or Greek influence

Goddess no change

a) Jupiter Synchronized with Zeus Greek

b) Apollo No change Greek

c) Faunus No change Etruscan

d) Pluto Synchronized with Hades Greek

e) Janus Similar to Culsans Etruscan

f) Juno Synchronized with Hera Greek

g) Mars Synchronized with Ares Greek

h) Minerva Synchronized with Athena Greek

i) Neptune Synchronized with Poseidon Greek

j) Saturn Synchronized with Croesus Greek

k) Venus Synchronized with Aphrodite Greek

i) Vesta Similar to Hestia Greek

11
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1
 Answer Keys Open Question
What, if anything, does this change in Mars hint to us about possible changes in Roman
society? What could have been happening in Rome’s history or society to change an
agricultural god into a god of war?

What to look for:

 The frieze on the left depicts early Romans plowing fields
o Rome began as an agricultural community
 farming was the primary occupation for the majority of early Romans
o Mars- initially worshiped as an agricultural god
 Also initially one of the triad of most important gods
 Worship of Mars highlights how important good weather and healthy crops
were to the Romans
 The frieze on the right depicts Romans engaged in combat
o This symbolizes Rome’s transition from an agricultural society to a martial society
o Reasons for Rome becoming more warrior-based:
 Need to raid neighboring communities to grow Rome’s population 
 Sabine War
 Need to protect itself from stronger neighbors
 Contact with other martial-based societies, especially the Greeks
o Roman culture found religion as a way to instill warrior beliefs in their populace
 Mars transforms from an agricultural god to a war god  

Possible references:
 Roman Household Spirits: Manes, Panes, and Lares
o “In ancient Rome, religion was state-sponsored. The gods were thought to have a
vested interest in the health and success of the Roman state and so religious beliefs
and practices were not just suggested but mandated.”
 Roman Mythology
o “The ancient Romans had a rich mythology and, while much of it was derived from
their neighbors and predecessors, the Greeks, it still defined the rich history of the
Roman people….”
o “The gods of the Greeks and Romans were anthropomorphic, exhibiting many human
qualities such as love, hate, and jealousy, and because of this, the people of Rome and
Greece were able to see themselves in these tales and understand their relationship to
the rest of the world as well as their connection to the gods. “
o “When Rome was founded in the 8th century BCE, many of the Greek city-states were
already well-established.”
o “Ares, the war god, was now Mars who originally had been an agricultural god
associated with spring, a time of regeneration (March is named for him).”
 Roman Religion
o “Initially, a Capitoline Triad (possibly derived from a Sabine influence) were added to
these “spirits" - the new gods included Mars, the god of war and supposed father of
Romulus and Remus (founders of Rome)....”
o “Although no longer one of the Capitoline triad, Mars remained an important god to
Rome - similar to Ares, the Greek god of war.”
o “Roman commanders would make sacrifices to him before and after battles and
Tuesday (Martes) is named for him.”

12
www.ancient.eu – Ancient Roman Religion – Activity 1