Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"The book makes a persuasive case that the study of Roman religion has a lot to gain from increased engagement with theoretical models drawn from other fields, and it points the way forward in this regard."
---Celia E. Schultz, Classical Philology"Champion has produced an accessible and nuanced study of an important question in the study of Roman religion. His approach places individual experience at the center of analysis while keeping the individual’s social and cultural context clearly in view. As a result, his book suggests how we might conceive of the emotions and behaviors of elite Romans who were charged with maintaining the
pax deorum."
---Meghan DiLuzio, Phoenix Journal"[The] discussion of ‘cognitive dissonance’ in Roman religion is the most advanced attempt to date to explore its viability in this field. . . . This book is a very substantial contribution to the understanding of pre-Augustan Roman religion—one that all students of the political and social history of the Roman world will do well not to overlook, and one that historians of other periods will find informative and inspiring in equal measure."
---Federico Santangelo, American Historical Review"Champion has written a thought-provoking book with much to recommend it. It joins a growing body of scholarship of both ancient and modern religions that attempts to reinvigorate discussion of the cognitive and emotional elements of religion after a decades-long emphasis on praxis. . . . This book’s erudition, creativity and readability make it a welcome addition for historians, classicists and scholars of religion alike."
---Anne E. Truetzel, Journal of Roman Studies"I want to conclude by stressing that Champion has written a remarkable book that will embolden future scholars to make fuller use of scientific literature. Rarely does one see publications from the
Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics tapped as
aides-à-penser for the history of Roman religion. . . . [The] book’s capacity to spark disagreement is ocular proof of its overall success, and there is no doubt in my mind that
The Peace of the Gods deserves to occupy a position of prominence in Roman religious studies for the foreseeable future."
---Dan-el Padilla Peralta, HistosTable of ContentsPreface ix Introduction Studying Elite Religion in the Middle Roman Republic xi 1 Elite-Instrumentalism: Persistence and Paradox 1 2 Domi: Priesthoods, Politics, and the People 23 3 Militiae: Commanders, Elite Religion, and Fear of Military Disaster 76 4 Domi et Militiae: Elite Religion at Rome in Response to External Triumphs and Crises 122 5 Understanding Elites' Religious Behaviors in the Middle Roman Republic 175 Epilogue 222 Acknowledgments 225 Bibliography 227 Abbreviations 227 Works Cited 228 General Index 247 Index Locorum 257
