Literature and Religion at Rome: Cultures, Contexts, and Beliefs (Roman Literature and its Contexts)

This book exploits recent reevaluations of Roman religion in order to argue in favor of taking the religious dimensions of Roman literature seriously, as important cultural work in their own right. Instead of seeing Roman religious and literary activity as derivative and parasitic upon Greek originals, the book questions the romanticizing biases of classical studies, and argues for the power and creativity of the Romans in their engagements with Greek culture. Rather than asking how religion is transmuted into literature, we should, Denis Feeney argues, be thinking in terms of a range of cultural practices, interacting, competing, and defining each other in the process. Capitalising on recent revaluations of Roman religion by ancient historians, which have stressed the vitality and creativity of the Romans' religious system throughout its long history of continual adaptation to new challenges, this book argues that Roman literature was not an artificial or parasitic irrelevance in this context, but an important element of the dynamic religious culture, with its own status as another form of religious knowledge. Since Roman culture, both literary and religious, was so thoroughly Hellenised, the author also makes a case for a reconsideration of the traditional antitheses between Greek and Roman literature and religion, arguing against Hellenocentric prejudices and in favour of a more creative model of cultural interaction. Recent reevaluations of Roman religion by ancient historians have stressed the vitality and creativity of the Romans'religious system throughout its long history of continual adaptation to new challenges. Capitalising on these insights, Denis Feeney argues that Roman literature was not an artificial or parasitic irrelevance in this context, but an important element of the dynamic religious culture, with its own status as another form of religious knowledge. Since Roman culture, both literary and religious, was so thoroughly Hellenised, the book also makes a case for a reconsideration of the traditional antitheses between Greek and Roman literature and religion, arguing against Hellenocentric prejudices and in favour of a more creative model of cultural interaction. Denis Feeney. Includes Bibliography (p. 144-156) And Indexes.