Anna Tatarkiewicz
ELECTRUM, Volume 30, 2023, pp. 273 - 292
https://doi.org/10.4467/20800909EL.23.009.17326The article addresses the issue of Mithraism in Ostia. It discusses the latest discoveries, the nature of the Mithra cult in Ostia, with particular emphasis on the place of Mithra’s shrines in the city space.
Anna Tatarkiewicz
ELECTRUM, Volume 21, 2014, pp. 117 - 131
https://doi.org/10.4467/20800909EL.14.001.2784Vespasian and his sons were forced to create their own style of politics, and, in search of auctoritas and maiestas, they could not neglect the realm of religion. We should bear in mind that in the Roman world, religion was an integral and indispensable component of social and political life. For these reasons, these representatives of the Roman Imperial Dynasty, just like their predecessors and successors, successfully used different forms of activity surpassing the narrow interpretation of the domain of religio, including massive building programmes, monetary policy or even poetry, to express devotion and respect for mores maiorum as well as to confirm the legality of their power by presenting the divine approval of their political strength.
It seems legitimate to acknowledge that the Flavian era did not bring revolutionary changes in traditional religion. This clearly shows that the new dynasty was perfectly aware that one of the aspects of a well-functioning Rome was preservation of the ancestors’ customs and a belief in divine protection which could ensure safety, strength and belief in the unity of the Empire.