From Etruscans and Romans to Modern Times - The Wise World Traveler: Becoming a Part of All that You Meet - page 53

god). Thus, Jupiter (or Jove), the equivalent of the Greek Zeus, is the father god and god of
the sky. Juno is the mother goddess, akin to the Greek Hera. Ceres is the earth goddess and
goddess of fertility. Neptune presides over the seas. Mars is the god of war, while Venus is
the goddess of love. Apollo is worshipped as the god of healing, prophecy, and generally
as the god of manly beauty and light. Diana, the goddess of the moon, is patroness of wo-
men and guardian in childbirth. Bacchus is the god of wine, Vulcan is the god of fire, and
Minerva is goddess of the arts.
The legions stationed in Egypt adopted gods of the Nile. Osiris is the god of the under-
world, a father god who controls the forces of nature. Isis, his wife, symbolizes renewal and
regeneration. And their son, Horus, ensures the continuity of generations. Legionnaires in
the Near East often converted to the Persian sun god, Mithras, who brings light and good-
ness to a world that confronts the forces of darkness and evil. A soldiers' prayer venerates
this god as “Mithras, God of the morning, our trumpets waken the Wall. Rome is above all
nations, but Thou art over all.” [49]
Those who worship many gods are usually tolerant of religious variety. That tolerance
made Rome an inviting place for settlers from the fringes of the empire. But in the later
days of the empire, Christians were the exception to Roman tolerance. Two factors lay be-
hind Roman persecution of Christians. Roman society was organized around clans, fam-
ily, and hereditary social class, while Christians professed the brotherhood and equality of
those who accepted their Savior. More important, Christians insisted that they alone pos-
sessed the truth “and that all other religions…were false.” [50] They refused, for instance,
to observe the ritual acts connected with the emperor, such as burning incense before his
statue, because such gestures were considered to be worshiping the emperor as a god.
The persecution of Christians flared intermittently for about 250 years, from the mar-
tyrdom of St. Paul in Rome in 68 CE until 313. At the battle of Milvian Bridge (still on the
wise traveler's itinerary) in 312, Constantine (according to legend) saw a cross in the sky
with these words: “In this sign conquer.” Triumphant in battle, Constantine succeeded to
the imperial throne, and in 313, the Edict of Milan gave Christians freedom of worship.
A ROMAN FEAST
For Rome's upper classes, feasting and gluttony marked social display and self-indulgence.
In modern terms, it was an exercise in conspicuous consumption designed to enhance the
social status of the host. The Emperor Augustus attempted to enforce laws prohibiting ex-
travagant menus and buying rare delicacies for a feast, but to little avail.
Guests at a banquet included friends of the host, those who might help him climb the
social ladder, and those well connected to the imperial court. Guests seated themselves on
couches, three to a couch, placed behind a table. They were entertained by jugglers, mu-
sicians, dancers, and acrobats. Guests were attended by slaves—some to serve food, oth-