Temples, Religion, and Politics in the Roman Republic

The success and smooth functioning of the Roman Republic depended on a careful balancing of the interests of the individual and the interests of the commonwealth. In this study, Eric Orlin examines the process through which new temples were vowed, built, and dedicated as a way of examining key features of the interrelated political and religious systems of Republican Rome. Orlin questions previous scholarship on several points, suggesting that the Senate, and not just individual generals, played an active and significant role in the construction of new temples and emphasizing the high degree of cooperation between the senate and its magistrates. The means by which the Romans erected new temples sheds important light on the relationship between individual initiative and collective responsibility in Republican Rome.

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About the Author
Eric M. Orlin holds a joint appointment in the Historical Studies and Classical Studies programs at Bard College.