Lectures on the History of Roman Religion

This book does not aim at making any original contribution to knowledge. lt has been written out from the notes of a course of lectures, which were actually delivered as public lectures in our lnstitute of Archaeology, but were primarily designed for students in the first or second year of study in the Honours School of Classics in Liverpool University. Their aim was to summarise very briefly the character and the historical development of Roman religion up to the death of Augustus. lt had been intended that the story should be completed by a similar course upon the conflict of religions under the Roman Empire to be given by my friend and colleague, Mr. H. A. Ormerod. Unforeseen contingeneies have caused what l hope may be only a postponement. These circumstances may be allowed to explain the meagre treatment here allotted to the introduction of Oriental cults and to the antecedents of Emperor worship, for these topics belong essentially to this second chapter in the history of Rome.