When St. Paul and St. Peter reached Rome they encountered a state-sponsored religion that had been established for centuries. Amid the shrines and temples of Rome; the Romans sought to preserve and strengthen a religion especially suited to the ambitious city. But Roman religion had also proved permeable to many influences; from Greece; Egypt; Persia; and other parts of Italy. What then was truly Roman; and what had Romans done with their borrowings to stamp them with Roman character? By exhaustive study of texts; inscriptions; and archaeology of Roman sacred places; Dumezil traces the formation of archaic Roman religion from Indo-European sources through the development of the rites and beliefs of the Roman republic. He describes a religion that was not only influenced by the other religions with which it came into contact; but influenced them as well; in mutual efforts to distinguish one nation from another. Even so; certain continuities were sustained in order to achieve a religion that crossed generations and ways of life. The worship of certain gods became the special concerns of certain parts of society; all of which needed attention to assure Rome's success in war; civil administration; and the production of food and goods.
#1254766 in Books Cornell University Press 2004-01-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.90 x .80 x 5.90l; .99 #File Name: 0801488842304 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Worth readingBy Npoet9There are only minor overuse of superlatives and unfounded presuppositions that this native Detroiter of a certain age reviewer can find in Heather Ann Thompson's compelling and well-researched volume. It is full of a catalogue of observations; insights; anecdotes; documents and photographs to support of her interpretation of Detroit's 20th century ailments that provide us the city we have now. She personally witnessed a Detroit at a time when the social fabric that held Detroit's communities together had already collapsed. Before that; the so-called failed Cavanagh - Moynihan programs provided education; medical services; and cultural experiences that allowed insight into a broader culture beyond the confines of southeast Michigan. She chronicles how Detroit collapsed into itself; forced by the same pressures that built the city. I recall walking down 12th Street (now Rosa Parks Blvd) on that Sunday morning in July 1967 and how it changed my world forever after. The author outlines a plausible and important perspective on Detroit's demise. Much of her story weaves the history of the politics and performance of the auto industry and how that related to racism. Worth reading.
