Books

[Quintus Aurelius Orcus]

Salvete
Mayby this has already been dealt with but i want to know if there are any books that are recommended reading for the Religio Romano.
Valete optime in pace deorum
Sokarus Aurelius Orcus

[Anonymous]

Here is the list the college rector proctored when I asked a similiar question. Maybe it will be of some use to you.

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Beard, M., Crawford, M. (1985) Rome in the Late Republic Ithica.
Beard, M., North, J., Price, S., (1998) Religions of Rome: Vol. I A History; Vol. II A Sourcebook

Cornell, T. J. (1995) The Beginnings of Rome New York.
Fowler, W. W. (1899) The Roman Festivals of the Period of the Roman Republic London
Grandazzi, A. Todd, J. M. (1997) The Foundations of Rome: Myth and History
Le Bonniec, H (1958) Le culte de Ceres a Rome
Luck, G. (1985) Arcana Mundi London.
MacMullen, R. (1981) Paganism in the Roman Empire.
Meyer, M. (1987) Ancient Mysteries: A Sourcebook New York.
Momigliano, A, di Donato, R. (1992) The Classical Foundation of Modern Historiography
Momigliano, A. (1989) Roma Arcaica Florence.
Momigliano, A. (1987) On Pagans, Jew, and Christians Hanover, NH.
Pallottino, M. (1991) History of Earliest Italy Milan.
Pallottino, M. (1952) Etruscan Painting Geneva
Pallottino, M. (1993) Origini e Storia Primitiva Roma Milan.
Poultney, J. W. (1959) The Bronze Tablets of Iguvium Baltimore.
Turcan, R. trans. Nevill, A. (1996) The Cults of the Roman Empire Cambridge.
Turcan, R. trans. Nevill, A. (2001) The Gods of Ancient Rome.
Scullard, H. H. (1981) Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic London
Spaeth, B. S. (1996) The Roman Goddess Ceres Austin, Tx.
Syme, R. (1980) Some Arval Brethren Oxford.
Whitehouse, R. D. (1992 Underground Religion: Cult and Cultus in Prehistoric Italy London.
Wilkey, J. B. (1994) The Iguvium Tablet

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salvete

I thought I had earlier provided a longer list, one that included some ancient texts as well. What I did not mention then were works that the ancients would have regarded as sacred scriptures. I did not mention them before because they have not survived in full. A recent inquiry brought them to mind. These would be the Libri Maximi and Libri Pontifici, as well as the Auguralibus comentariis. A number of Etruscan texts were taken as sacred scriptures, the Libri tagetici, Libri fatales, Libri auspicini, Libri fulgurales, Libri Acheruntici, and the Ostentaria, all said to have been pronounced by Tages. And we might include the Sibylline Oracles, and those of Marcian. In addition, today we might consider Varro's Antiquities, or Nigidius Figulus' On the Gods, or Granius Flaccus' Indigitamentis, as all were highly regarded for their erudition. Fragments from that last one, by Flaccus, gives the formulas for addressing the gods. I understand the fragments have now been gathered into a single book.

Fragments of these texts can be found in such Christian works as Augustine's City of God, who relied heavily on Varro's works, and Varro taking his information from pontifical texts. Livy has a couple things in his history that may be from the pontifical texts. Servius' commentary on the Aeneid is a valuable source on the Religio Romana, but I don't think it has much from the pontifical texts. I am always looking for such fragments. Other texts I would think essential for a modern practitioner would be Virgil's Aeneid and Livy's AUC. Homer might be considered too as most Romans, even those who were not educated, would have known their Homer. And in that vein would be Ovid's Metamorphoses and his Fasti.

One work often quoted by historians of the Religio Romana is Cicero's De Legibus. That is Cicero's personal vision, really a political work, and not one on the Religio Romana as it really was. Cicero's On Divination should also be read with discretion. A number of other texts might be mentioned, and do not overlook the Priapia.

Valete optime
Moravius Piscinus