Religions of late antiquity

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The late antiquity is considered epoch of belief , the mystery cults and religious diversity. Both monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs and cults emerged and spread throughout large parts of the Roman Empire . For long stretches of late antiquity, the various faiths and cults co-existed peacefully, mainly due to the tolerant and pragmatic Roman understanding of religion. Nonetheless, religious persecutions did occur , to which Judaism , Christianity and Manichaeism were ultimately also victims of the original Roman worship of gods in the early Middle Ages .

In order to better understand the dynamic religious transformation process from which Christianity emerged as the dominant religion in Europe and at the end of which the Western Roman Empire perished, it is necessary to grasp the diversity of religious practices in its entirety. The aim of this article is to give an overview of the new development of the predominant religions and cults of late antiquity in the Roman Empire . As suggested by the historian Ingemar König , late antiquity in this article covers the period from the first Tetrarchy under Diocletian (284/293) to the end of the Lombards' conquest of Italy in the 6th century.

Monotheistic Religions

Christianity

After the last great persecution under Diocletian could Christianity from the Edict of Nicomedia be freely lived out in the spring of 311th This development was confirmed with the reign of Constantine the Great and the so-called “ Constantinian Turn ”. Constantine supported the Christian church with donations, financed church buildings, which significantly shaped the Roman cityscape, and banned Christian and non-Christian sects with the aim of unifying the church. Towards the end of the 4th century, Emperor Theodosius I enacted laws that prescribed the Christian faith and which historians interpreted as the elevation of Christianity to the state religion .

Christianity was very popular with the inhabitants of the Roman Empire because it provided an answer to the hitherto unanswered question about life after death. Accordingly, Christianity spread quickly inside and outside the empire. This development was accelerated by contacts and exchanges between different peoples in the Roman army and by the missionary work of monks. For a long time, the rise of Christianity did not significantly influence everyday life for the Romans. Interdenominational marriages continued and pagan rites continued. Only gradually did the changes become noticeable, for example through the compulsory attendance of priests at weddings.

According to the Christian idea of ​​the time, donations paved the way to paradise and their value was multiplied in the hereafter. So even small donations were valuable. Through donations, the donor could buy a better position in the community. Some of the rich were even buried next to holy bishops . There was thus an aristocratization of the Christian communities.

"The greatest achievement of these communities, in the period before and after Constantine, had been to maintain the equilibrium of differing social constituencies within a single body. All were treated as potential givers. All were kept together by taking part in a communal religious venture, where each gift was toched with the thrill of a joining of heaven and earth. "

- Peter Brown : From Civic Euergetism to Christian Giving. The parameters of a change.

A hierarchization was also noticeable in the development of the structure of the church. Congregations and bishops were formed with different areas of power and authority.

In the course of late antiquity there were repeated disputes in the Catholic Church about the direction of the Church and about the interpretative practices of the holy scriptures. Probably the most famous dispute was settled in the framework of the Council of Nicaea in 325. The conflict now known as the Arian Controversy revolved around the question of whether, as the Arians claimed, Jesus was created or whether Jesus should be viewed as divine or godlike. Despite the majority of the Arian priests, the opponents of Arianism prevailed because of a power word of the emperor .

In the late antiquity, new customs, traditions and cults developed in the Christian faith, especially in the cities, which offered an ideal breeding ground for new cults through trade and immigration. The best-known of these is probably the cult of Mary , which began in late antiquity.

Judaism

The Jews indeed originated several centuries before Christianity, but was severely limited in its development by the rise of Christianity and the rise of other religions.

After the destruction of the city of Jerusalem in the 1st century AD, and with it the central Jewish temple, the Jews were expelled from Jerusalem. A Jewish diaspora was formed in the Roman Empire with various important spiritual centers. Babylon and Jawne were among the most important . There was also a change in Judaism from a temple cult to a household-related religion.

Through their role in the interpretation and interpretation of the Torah, rabbis played an important role in this new development. In order to preserve the uniformity of the Jewish faith despite the wide distribution and to prevent the formation of sects, attempts were made in late antiquity to collect and write down Jewish laws and religious traditions. The result was the Talmud , a collection of oral and written traditions and interpretative practices, one of the most important written works of Judaism.

With the elevation of Christianity to the state religion and the restriction of all pagan religions, there was also increased discrimination against the Jewish communities over time. Although Jews were allowed to continue to practice their religion, they were neither allowed to proselytize nor to exercise political offices (the latter also being a privilege given the unpopularity of these activities). Neither were they allowed to keep Christian slaves or build new synagogues . Emperor Justinian I even prevented Jews from acquiring Roman citizenship.

Manichaeism

The Manichaeism is a newly formed in late antiquity revealed religion. It was founded under the Persian Mani (216–276 AD) in the eastern part of the Roman Empire and quickly spread from the Mediterranean region over the Middle East to even China . Certain Manichaean communities existed there until the 13th century.

At the center of this religion was a cosmic dualistic conflict between light and dark . Mani distinguished three epochs in his teachings: a past epoch in which light and darkness were separated, a continuing epoch in which light and darkness are mixed, and a future epoch in which light and darkness will be separated again. Mani taught how harmful division of light that became trapped in matter could be liberated through religious practices. Mani saw himself as the successor to the founders of religions Zarathustra , Buddha , Paulus of Tarsus and Jesus . He also recognized parts of the ideas of these religions, which is why Manichaeism is also counted among the syncretistic religions .

The Manichaean community was made up of the elect and hearers. The elect had to shape their lives according to the Manichaean ideal so that as much light as possible was released. The task of the listeners was to support the chosen ones. The Manichaeists subjected their lives to strict asceticism ; Food that contained more original energy was preferred, and some harmful foods were left out entirely.

Manichaeism also found widespread use in the Roman Empire. However, since Diocletian , the religious have been persecuted.

Polytheistic Religions

Roman cults

The classical polytheistic Roman worship of gods lasted throughout the period of late antiquity . As before to a lesser extent, strong syncretistic tendencies can also be discerned in late antiquity; a multitude of new rites and cults of conquered areas and cities were integrated into everyday religious life. In addition to visiting and questioning the Greek oracle sites and the Hellenistic-Roman practice of elevating rulers to gods and sacrificing them to them, other Hellenistic cults in particular spread throughout large parts of the Roman Empire.

Asclepius cult

According to Greek mythology , Asclepius , son of Apollo and Koronis , is the god of healing. Its shrines provided medical care from Spain to the Middle East.

Mysteries of Eleusius

The Mysteries of Eleusius are sacrificial and consecration rites named after the city of Eleusis near Athens and its Demeter sanctuary. The basis of the cult was the ancient myth about Persephone , Hades and Demeter . The cult members annually celebrated the return of Persephone from the underworld and with it the return of life and spring to earth.

Isis and Sarapis

The Egyptian cults around Isis and Serapis have been around since 500 BC. Integrated into the Greek faith. The Romans also made these rites their own. Isis was compared with all kinds of Greco-Roman goddesses, but above all with Demeter. Sarapis was worshiped as the deity of the underworld .

Mithras cult

The Mithras cult was particularly popular in the Roman military and is probably one of the most important mystery cults of that time. Mithras monuments were widespread throughout the empire. In general, very little is known about the Mithras cult due to the limited sources . Mithras is a Roman god who symbolized the sun. The main motif of the monuments represented the killing of a bull. According to the myth, this was carried by Mithras to a mountain and there sacrificed for the renewal of the earth. The cult probably had Persian , in any case Middle Eastern roots.

Magna Mater cult

Similar to the Mithras cult, the Magna Mater cult was also one of the most important cults of late antiquity. It also found widespread use in large parts of the Roman Empire and probably goes back to the Greek goddess Cybele . The Magna Mater has been venerated by the Romans since an oracle from the Oracle of Delphi and the subsequent victory in the Punic War , including the Ludi Megalensis and the March Festival .

In addition to these cults, the Romans successfully exported cults related to the city of Rome. Among them were the worship of the city deity Roma and several cults around Jupiter.

Even with the emergence of Christianization and the elevation of Christianity to the state religion, pagan cults still enjoyed widespread use and popularity. The official prohibition of the original religion under Theodosius I changed nothing in its practice. It was not until the early Middle Ages that the Roman cults gradually disappeared.

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. Ingemar König: The Roman Late Antiquity. Reclam, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 978-3-15-018952-8 , p. 15.
  2. Ingemar König: The Roman Late Antiquity. Reclam, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 978-3-15-018952-8 , pp. 16-18.
  3. ^ Peter Brown: From Civic Euergetism to Christian Giving. The parameters of a change. In: Peter Eich, Eike Faber (Hrsg.): Religious everyday life in late antiquity. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-515-10442-5 , pp. 23-30.
  4. ^ Peter Brown: From Civic Euergetism to Christian Giving. The parameters of a change. In: Peter Eich, Eike Faber (Hrsg.): Religious everyday life in late antiquity. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-515-10442-5 , p. 30.
  5. ^ Peter Brown: From Civic Euergetism to Christian Giving. The parameters of a change. In: Peter Eich, Eike Faber (Hrsg.): Religious everyday life in late antiquity. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-515-10442-5 , p. 30.
  6. Claudia Tiersch : From diversity to simplicity. On the emergence of the cult of Mary in Constantinople at the beginning of the 5th century AD. As a transformation of everyday religious piety. In: Peter Eich, Eike Faber (Hrsg.): Religious everyday life in late antiquity. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-515-10442-5 , pp. 23-30.
  7. Manfred Clauss : No bath for heretics. Christian everyday life in Alexandria. In: Peter Eich, Eike Faber (Hrsg.): Religious everyday life in late antiquity. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 2013, ISBN 978-3-515-10442-5 , p. 117.
  8. ^ Judaism in Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. Federal Agency for Civic Education. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  9. Richard Valantasis (ed.): Religion of Late Antiquity in Practice. Princeton University Press, Princeton (New Jersey) 2000, ISBN 0-691-05750-8 , p. 6.
  10. Judaism between Late Antiquity and the Enlightenment. Universal lexicon. Retrieved May 5, 2017.
  11. ^ Peter Brown: Religion and Society in the Age of Saint Augustine. Faber, London 1972, ISBN 0-571-09508-9 , pp. 94-118.
  12. Richard Valantasis (ed.): Religion of Late Antiquity in Practice. Princeton University Press, Princeton (New Jersey) 2000, ISBN 0-691-05750-8 , pp. 6 f.
  13. Richard Valantasis (ed.): Religion of Late Antiquity in Practice. Princeton University Press, Princeton (New Jersey) 2000, ISBN 0-691-05750-8 , pp. 7 f.
  14. ^ Mary Beard, John A. North, Simon RF Price (Eds.): Religions of Rome. Volume 2: A sourcebook. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998, ISBN 0-521-45015-2 , pp. 297-305.
  15. ^ Mary Beard, John A. North, Simon RF Price (Eds.): Religions of Rome. Volume 2: A sourcebook. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998, ISBN 0-521-45015-2 , pp. 305-320.