Clifford Ando
The Matter of the Gods
Religion and the Roman Empire
A Joan Palevsky Book in Classical Literature
$60.00, £41.95 hardcover
9780520250833
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$24.95, £16.95 paperback
9780520259867
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What did the Romans know about their gods? Why did they perform the rituals of their religion, and what motivated them to change those rituals? To these questions Clifford Ando proposes simple answers: In contrast to ancient Christians, who had faith, Romans had knowledge, and their knowledge was empirical in orientation. In other words, the Romans acquired knowledge of the gods through observation of the world, and their rituals were maintained or modified in light of what they learned. After a preface and opening chapters that lay out this argument about knowledge and place it in context, The Matter of the Gods pursues a variety of themes essential to the study of religion in history.
"Highly recommended."—Choice
"Clifford argues that the Romans acquired knowledge of the gods through observation of the world and that their rituals were maintained or modified in light of what they learnt."—Times Higher Education Supplement
"Clifford argues that the Romans acquired knowledge of the gods through observation of the world and that their rituals were maintained or modified in light of what they learnt."—Times Higher Education Supplement
"A work of innovative spirit and great learning, stylishly argued throughout, and beautifully written."—Sabine MacCormack, author of The Shadows of Poetry: Virgil in the Mind of Augustine
"Ando's intellectually daring work breaks through the traditional perceptions of Roman religion under the Empire."—Guy Stroumsa, author of Barbarian Philosophy: The Religious Revolution of Early Christianity
"Ando's intellectually daring work breaks through the traditional perceptions of Roman religion under the Empire."—Guy Stroumsa, author of Barbarian Philosophy: The Religious Revolution of Early Christianity
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Religion, Law, and Knowledge in Classical Rome
part one. the limits of orthopraxy
2. Idols and Their Critics
3. Interpretatio Romana
4. Religion and Ius Publicum
part two. gods of the far-flung empire
5. A Religion for the Empire
6. Religion and Imperialism at Rome
7. The Palladium and the Pentateuch
Bibliography
Index Locorum
General Index
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1. Religion, Law, and Knowledge in Classical Rome
part one. the limits of orthopraxy
2. Idols and Their Critics
3. Interpretatio Romana
4. Religion and Ius Publicum
part two. gods of the far-flung empire
5. A Religion for the Empire
6. Religion and Imperialism at Rome
7. The Palladium and the Pentateuch
Bibliography
Index Locorum
General Index
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