Roman Religion

Roman Religion by Marion Findlay covers a fascinating aspect of Classical Studies. The text is clear and lively, and provides comprehensive coverage of material in the Year 13 Classical Studies course, dealing with the beliefs and religious practices of the Romans from the founding of the city in the eighth century BC to the late empire (fifth century AD).

Features of the book include:

• Relevant information presented in an accessible and easy-to-understand style.
• Numerous illustrations, providing students with interesting visual details of subjects discussed in the text.
• A discussion of original source material that gives us an 'eye-witness' account and enhances our understanding of the topic.
• A variety of activities and revision exercises, designed to be suitable for both classroom use and self-study.
• A list of Roman emperors.
• A list of writers of the source material used, with biographical notes on each.

Aspects of the topic discussed in the text are:

• State religion and private religion in Rome.
• Festivals and holidays.
• How other cultures influenced Roman religion.
• The impact of monotheistic religions such as Judaism and Christianity on the philosophies and beliefs of imperial Rome.

Marion Findlay (MA Hons Latin) teaches Latin and Classical Studies at The Correspondence School in Wellington, where, after completing a Level 2 Classical Studies course using print, audio tapes and virtual reality, she has been involved in putting a Level 3 course on website. She was a founding member of the New Zealand Association of Classical Teachers, acting as its Regional Representative in Wellington for several years, and has recently concluded two years as its President and Bulletin Editor. She is currently Teacher Representative and Chairperson on the Classical Studies Advisory Group overseeing the implementation of unit standards and has been involved both in writing the Classical Studies Assessment Guide and in training teachers in the use of unit standards for assessment. She is the author of Divine Quest: A Guide to Reading Virgil's Aeneid.