The services by which the Romans hoped to influence the forces that guided their lives were firmly established in ritual - the ritual of prayer and the ritual of offering. In either case, the exact performance of the rite was essential. One slip, and you had to go back to the beginning and start again. The very multiplicity of deities caused problems, as did the gender of some of them: 'wether you be god or goddess' was a common formula in Roman prayers.

The motivations of the sacrifices are what of interest. Most of the time, sacrifices took place for purification, s

Particular locations of religious importance held a great deal of significance to the men and women of the Roman republic. The "Field of Mars" is seen time and time again as a noteworthy location where training took place (47) and honorable burial (172, 213 - 214). It was not infrequent that the Field was used as a political-strategic tool, however. Other places such as Marica (53) were also religious locations that affected the lives of major figures. Along with locations, events were affective communicators of religious ideals. Festivals were a source of entertainment, socializing, sacrifice, and political figure heading. During the "Woman's Goddess" festival, where no man could be in the presence of a woman, sacrilege was committed by Clodius (252 - 254). Many other happenings took place in additional events, such as the feast of Lupercalia were political relationships shaped (300).

Many primitive societies practiced animism, the belief that natural and physical objects are endowed with mystical properties. The Romans took this cult so far that they could be said to have made it peculiarly their own. They invested trees, springs, caves, lakes, animals, even household furniture with numina (divine spirits). Stones could have spirits, too, especially the boundary stones between one person's property and the next. The word for a boundary stone was terminus. And there was even a great god Terminus, a massive piece of masonry that stood permanently in the temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, because, it was said, it refused to budge even for Jupiter.

upplication, or celebration. The purification ritual was one that was performed before battle (285). Asking for a deed to be done was very popular as well. One usually asked for victory and good fortune in battle (20). Celebration is the event that seems to be the most spectacular of all. Whether it is in joy of an enemies' death, such as Mithridates (201), the end of illness of a leader like Pompey (218), or simply the merriment that comes after large victory, we see this in Caesar's winnings in Gaul (264). Some sacrificial events took place in order to ask forgiveness and appeasement for defeat of a religious enemy (90 - 91).

Although many details separate the Roman religion to many modern ideals, the action of prayer played a major role in this belief system just as it does today. Supplication, or the act of requesting, is a standard action taken while communicating with one's deity. When facing a horde of barbarians it could be quite easy to turn to the gods and plea for help. The one who offers up the prayer can promise huge sacrifices and temples (39) or bring a standard prayer of pre-battle vows (286). Sulla, on the o

Some common words found in the essay are:
Romans Republic, Aphrodite Crassus, Capitoline Hill, Greek Italian, Woman's Goddess, Field Mars, physical objects, natural physical objects, bad omen, natural physical, 74 75, 90 91, services romans, bad luck, 252 254,
Approximate Word count = 1831
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)