Robert Turcan

[Publius Dionysius Mus]

Salvete

I have recently ordered the book "The Gods Of Ancient ROme" by Robert Turcan. Can anyone tell me if this is a good book on Roman religion?

Valete bene

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Mus

I found Turcan's "The Gods of Ancient Rome" very insightful on many points. At some points Turcan does refer to and agree with Dumezil; the only objection I had with Turcan. A point he makes very clear is that the focus of the Religio Romana was in the Lares and household gods, not the state religion to which so much is devoted to in histories of the Religio Romana. In this book and in his other books I've read, Turcan has a penetrating understanding of the Religio Romana that I have not found in any other author. His general knowledge of the Religio Romana is brought into many subjects, where others focus on single topics. Turcan's strength is in his overall understanding, and so he offers a perspective on many different aspects that embraces the whole of the Religio Romana. A good read.

Vale
Moravius Piscinus

[Anonymous]

While we are on the subject, what other scholarly books might one recommend on the Religio?

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Urse

Modern books that I usuallt refer to:

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

Vale optime

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much! That is an impressive list. May I suggest adding some sort of suggested reading list to the college's webpage?

Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Salvete.

I just bought it at a museum store. It looked interesting enough to plop $23 on. Other than that I can say nothing *specific*, but ... I thumbed thorugh it and thought about it before I made the purchase. From some parts I say and the chapter titles, it seems that Turcan is a regular academic writer on the subject. I do not know how much he works fromthe basis of the view that Christianity is a more evolved relgion than what the unenlightened ancients believed, but I got the idea that he is more objective than, say, is his name McDonald? [I just did a look see of my library and couldn't find the thing.] I look forward to reading it. It looks like there is some good information in it. And there is also the factor of being able to check out the sources he cites in the original works. Yeah. I hope I'm not wrong.

Valete.

C. Aelius Ericius.



[quote][/quote]