Religions of Rome: Volume 2: A Sourcebook (Paperback)

~ Mary Beard (Author), John North (Author), Simon Price (Author) "What was the character of the religion of the Romans in the period of the kings - from Romulus, the legendary founder in the eighth..." (more)
Key Phrases: suckling victims, high priest for life, quindecimviri sacris faciundis, Magna Mater, Marcus Aurelius, Sibylline Books (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'This is an excellent book that answers any reader's questions on the religious life of the Romans.' The Australian National Review

' ... the best one-volume study in publication ... a well written book that should have a place of the shelf of every student of early European history, and on that of every theologian as well'. Theology

'These books are the result of years of patient scholarship and intellectual questioning. No other volume has covered such a time span so effectively and made such clear use of maps, illustrations and archaelogical evidence.' Robin Lane-Fox, British Museum Magazine

Product Description

This book, the second of the two volumes that make up Religions of Rome, presents a wide range of documents illustrating religious life in the Roman world from the early Republic to the late Empire (both visual evidence and texts in translation). More than just a "sourcebook," it explores some of the major themes and problems of Roman religion (such as sacrifice, the religious calendar, divination and prediction). Each document has an introduction, explanatory notes and bibliography, and is used as the starting point for further discussion.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 430 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (June 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521456460
• ISBN-13: 978-0521456463
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #408,553 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Always Pleasing, May 28, 2003

By	Patrick J. Dickey (University of San Francisco, San Francisco, California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Religions of Rome, volumes I &II by Doctors Beard, North and Price is an invaluable work that is a necessity for any student of Classical Civilization, as the Oxford Classical Dictionary and H.H. Scullard's Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic. Throughout my years of study in the university, I have come to rely upon the work as a base for any research that I would embark upon. In this vein, I have to state that the exhaustive Chicago footnotes and bibliography are of extreme help when one needs to seek further primary and secondary source materials. In terms of the book's writing, I declaim with confidence that this is one of the few works to be written by committee and is better off for its. The text reviews subject matter in detail while remaining concise with subject matter placed into collection via topic related to epoch. Again, this work is the basis of any Classicist library and shall serve one diligently thought out one's life.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book about Romans, by Romans, July 27, 2004

By	Tom Lougheed - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book (volume 2 of a 2 volume work) is an excellent selection of passages writen by Romans and their contemporaries about Romans and their religions. Each translation is preceded by a short description of the context of the passage, and references. Included are paragraphs from books, quotes from lost works, inscriptions from monuments, publicly posted legal announements, and grafitti.

It was a breath of fresh air for me, since the contemporary source material in this subject is so sparse that most books on ancient religion are a doubtful parade of their authors' opinions. And although the passages from ancient writers are laden with their opinions, with the help of the editors of 'Religions of Rome, vol II' it's obvious and once exposed, revealing.