The Religious Experience of the Roman People From the Earliest Times to the Age of Augustus

About this book

The work is a scholarly survey of Roman religious practice from the earliest tribal rites through the reforms of Augustus, written by the classicist W. Warde Fowler. It opens with a detailed discussion of a communal festival, noting its agricultural roots and the ambiguous meaning of the term Curia, while citing a range of ancient sources, Ovid, Varro, Livy, and the Fasti, alongside contemporary scholars such as Carter, Wissowa, and De Marchi. Fowler’s footnotes are dense, weaving together textual evidence, epigraphic examples, and comparative mythology to argue that Roman cults evolved from local, state‑sanctioned rituals toward the more personalized deities later influenced by Greek thought.

The prose reflects early‑20th‑century academic style: meticulous, citation‑heavy, and often speculative, with a voice that balances cautious interpretation against confident assertion. Readers who appreciate rigorous classical scholarship, especially those interested in the intersection of ritual, language, and myth, will find Fowler’s methodical approach rewarding. It is particularly suited to students of ancient religion, historians of Rome, and anyone seeking a deep, source‑driven analysis of how Roman worship transformed over centuries.