So after listening to a very interesting essay on Roman neo-paganism, I have decided to delve more into the Cultus Deorum and where it stands today in light of the neo-pagan movement. As I research I have intentionally avoided the pitfall of stumbling into the New Age scene, as I do not think it would be of much use in this discussion. On the surface, the Cultus Deorum appears much smaller than other contemporary neo-pagan traditions such as the Asatruar, the Wiccans and even the Celtic and Kemetic traditions. While its closeness to the Hellenic tradition of the ancient Grecians is remarkable, I feel that it has not grown quite as prominently as it should. The reasons for this vary, and at the end of this opening post feel free to contribute your insights on the matter. I would greatly appreciate it.
One of the big hurdles I observe that the neo-pagan community must now face, with its closeness to nature and the the more "primal" aspects of living most commonly associated with the wilderness and the country, is the fact that people today are most concentrated in major population centers - metropolises. Large cities, urban landscapes, fast-paced lifestyles, and not all with the time for intensive study. While most rituals are simple enough, I would also like something for the common layman in his apartment, and the workingman in the suburbs. While a personal shrine is basic and helpful to practice, I feel that a tradition that can thrive in the urban jungles of civilization would do well to serve man even if his abode is away from the meadows and rolling greens of the country. Here I propose the Cultus Deorum, the ancient practice of pre-Christian Rome, as a suitable tradition for those locked in urban civilization.
Rome as a ideal was urban civilization defined. It was metropolitan, and the breadth of its empire encompassed entire societies and reshaped them, constantly taking in new and alien peoples and transforming them in accordance with its ideals. I find that this closely resembles the geo-demographic patterns we find today, as well as what we ought to do - assimilation and integration. This I find an effective method for promoting the Neo-Pagan movement as a suitable alternative to modern mainstream religion. I speak not of Evangelism and the nuisance of preaching, but of day-to-day application in action, philosophy and mind/spirit. The Cultus Deorum, as most Neo-Pagan traditions, must be lived. One's practice must be animated, breathing and grounded in the present. It is not just role-play or reenactment longing for the niceties of ages long gone, but a living practice based on timeless intellectual tradition applied to today's living.
Here I speak not of the nature of the deities, but of the CD's emphasis on practicality - something the Romans and prominent philosophers of their Greek cousins are known for. The Romans as a people were very particular about practicality. Rituals are nice, but it is one's practice that defines one's "faith", so to speak. We find no shortage of literature in the Greco-Roman tradition that can serve as guide and rudder for ethical living, even in today's times. This I find luckier compared to what other traditions have to make do with. The literature is diverse, but not fragmented. From the works of Seneca the Younger and Epictetus, to Marcus Aurelius' diary and Cicero, we find many sources on which to base and ground our practice for everyday living. I am of the opinion that one's practice must go beyond your personal shrine/lararium, and the ancient fathers of philosophical thought make an extraordinary start for this, besides the obvious benefits of delving into classical literature, philosophy and history.
One could say that the Cultus Deorum thrived in the city, and focused more on practicality - that interesting trait of the Roman psyche. I feel that its ideals and its context can speak words and ideas very dear to us today living in contemporary urban society. It is diverse and can be personalized (the Roman legions had their own deities, as did the household), yet it is inclusive and metropolitan without the universalist embrace. If one says "live tru and honorably", while another says, "let us return to the ways of our ancestors", then I now say, as a confident proponent of the Cultus Deorum, the old Roman way, "let us return to the heart of what it means to be a civilization."
Welcome to peace. Welcome to order. Welcome to Rome. Pax Romana.
One of the big hurdles I observe that the neo-pagan community must now face, with its closeness to nature and the the more "primal" aspects of living most commonly associated with the wilderness and the country, is the fact that people today are most concentrated in major population centers - metropolises. Large cities, urban landscapes, fast-paced lifestyles, and not all with the time for intensive study. While most rituals are simple enough, I would also like something for the common layman in his apartment, and the workingman in the suburbs. While a personal shrine is basic and helpful to practice, I feel that a tradition that can thrive in the urban jungles of civilization would do well to serve man even if his abode is away from the meadows and rolling greens of the country. Here I propose the Cultus Deorum, the ancient practice of pre-Christian Rome, as a suitable tradition for those locked in urban civilization.
Rome as a ideal was urban civilization defined. It was metropolitan, and the breadth of its empire encompassed entire societies and reshaped them, constantly taking in new and alien peoples and transforming them in accordance with its ideals. I find that this closely resembles the geo-demographic patterns we find today, as well as what we ought to do - assimilation and integration. This I find an effective method for promoting the Neo-Pagan movement as a suitable alternative to modern mainstream religion. I speak not of Evangelism and the nuisance of preaching, but of day-to-day application in action, philosophy and mind/spirit. The Cultus Deorum, as most Neo-Pagan traditions, must be lived. One's practice must be animated, breathing and grounded in the present. It is not just role-play or reenactment longing for the niceties of ages long gone, but a living practice based on timeless intellectual tradition applied to today's living.
Here I speak not of the nature of the deities, but of the CD's emphasis on practicality - something the Romans and prominent philosophers of their Greek cousins are known for. The Romans as a people were very particular about practicality. Rituals are nice, but it is one's practice that defines one's "faith", so to speak. We find no shortage of literature in the Greco-Roman tradition that can serve as guide and rudder for ethical living, even in today's times. This I find luckier compared to what other traditions have to make do with. The literature is diverse, but not fragmented. From the works of Seneca the Younger and Epictetus, to Marcus Aurelius' diary and Cicero, we find many sources on which to base and ground our practice for everyday living. I am of the opinion that one's practice must go beyond your personal shrine/lararium, and the ancient fathers of philosophical thought make an extraordinary start for this, besides the obvious benefits of delving into classical literature, philosophy and history.
One could say that the Cultus Deorum thrived in the city, and focused more on practicality - that interesting trait of the Roman psyche. I feel that its ideals and its context can speak words and ideas very dear to us today living in contemporary urban society. It is diverse and can be personalized (the Roman legions had their own deities, as did the household), yet it is inclusive and metropolitan without the universalist embrace. If one says "live tru and honorably", while another says, "let us return to the ways of our ancestors", then I now say, as a confident proponent of the Cultus Deorum, the old Roman way, "let us return to the heart of what it means to be a civilization."
Welcome to peace. Welcome to order. Welcome to Rome. Pax Romana.
Comment