2007-08-06 10:38:11 · 10 answers · asked by yousef m 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Read Ovid's "Metamorphois" to get a really good idea of the nature of Greek and Roman deities.
In general, Roman deities had less personality than Greek deities. They represented principles (courage{ Mars] liberty [Libertas] sex [Venus] )and so on. Romans were remarkably unimaginative, in comparison to the very imaginative Greeks. Romans were scrupulously religious - they strived to always do the correct thing according to the liturgical calendar and the omens.
2007-08-06 11:08:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
In an effort to explain the world around them, the Romans had a mythology to explain the unknown and gave their "gods" human traits as well as supernatural powers. Roman mythology makes for very interesting reading.
Chow!!
2007-08-06 18:52:16 · answer #2 · answered by No one 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
GAWAINE r. is right.
Greek had a very fancy mythology.
Old roman religion had no mythology at all (tales about their gods/goddess), but for some legends about the origin of Rome and the first century of its history (Romulus and Remus, the seven kings, fights against Sabinians, Brutus and the Republic birth, Oratius Coclites,and so on).
When someone talks about Roman mythology, he's talking about greek Gods named with Roman/Latin names.
So Romans authors and poets wrote tales about Jupiter, but they were using old tales about Greek god Zeus, just with a different name.
2007-08-08 10:16:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They were an extension of the tendency to transfer responsibility by believing the stories made up for children that turned out to be useful for controlling adults too.
We, in our technological glory, would of course, not stoop to such low means to explain life.
We prefer to roll it all into a single personal image.
It is much more efficient to have only a single deity to obey.
Oh wait! There are multiple versions of that concept. What went wrong?
Could it be that the whole idea of incorporeal powers should be studied for their natures without ascribing compulsion and killing of disbelievers? No! Then you would have to call that practice something else like maybe Science and learn rather than fear.
2007-08-10 09:41:25 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't think that they did a whole heck of a lot for the Romans, now did they?
Kinda let them die out...
It was hard to get good gods in them days.
g-day!
2007-08-06 21:06:52 · answer #5 · answered by Kekionga 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Uh, well, they did have personalities and they were vengeful, merciful, etc. and they were quite similar to the gods of their Greek counterparts.
Sometimes the Romans "borrowed" gods from other ancient pagan religions (namely, places they've conquered) to add to their own pantheon.
2007-08-06 23:32:57 · answer #6 · answered by chrstnwrtr 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The guys never met a legend they didn't like.
2007-08-07 00:10:08 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The myth stories are great entertainment. Obviously made up by men that wished viagra had been invented.
2007-08-06 17:41:15 · answer #8 · answered by redunicorn 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Good as any others
2007-08-06 20:27:13 · answer #9 · answered by obelix 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In what respect?
2007-08-06 17:48:54 · answer #10 · answered by Sinclair 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋