THE ADAPTATION OF GREEK GODS IN ROMAN RELIGION
THE ADAPTATION OF GREEK GODS IN ROMAN RELIGION

Summary/Abstract: This article examines the profound impact of the Greek pantheon on the formation and evolution of Roman religious consciousness. Through a close analysis of the processes of cultural contact, translation, and reinterpretation, we will investigate the mechanisms by which Roman deities came to be identified with their Greek counterparts – Mars with Ares, Venus with Aphrodite, Jupiter with Zeus, and others. Our study explores both the historical contexts that enabled these identifications and the intellectual strategies that justified them, such as interpretatio Graeca and interpretatio Romana. By tracing the adoption, adaptation, and eventual Romanization of Greek mythic narratives, rituals, and theological concepts, the article emphasizes the dynamic spectrum of syncretism that defined Greco-Roman religious exchange. Special attention is devoted to the socio-political implications of this syncretism, the role of literary production in codifying these associations, and the tension between indigenous Italic traditions and imported Hellenic models. Ultimately, our research highlights how the Roman religious system became a hybrid construct, one deeply indebted to Greek precedent yet distinctly Roman in its ideological purpose and cultural expression.

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