Roman Military and Religion

After the collapse of the Roman Republic, state religion had to adapt to the customs of a new systems of emperors. One of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, justified the monarcy rule with a program of a revival of religious reform.  Oaths previously made for the security of the republic now were for  the wellbeing of the emperor. The worshiping of the emperor expanded on and the traditional reverence of the divine of individuals became an Imperial cult and was one of the major ways Rome made it’s authority in the provinces. and controlled loyalty throughout the Empire. Rejection of the state religion was the equivalent to treason. This was the major conflict for Rome with Christianity, Romans regarded Christianityas a form of atheism.

Constantine I became the first emperor to convert to Christianity. And the era of Christian supremacy began.  Under the rule of Theodosius Christianity became the Rome’s official religion. Christian one God belief became an element of Imperial domination.  But Rome's original religious chain of command and its ritual influenced Christian like, and many pre Christian beliefs and practices to survive in Christian festivals and local traditions

Military success was achieved through a combination of the divine and virtures those who lacked these traits civic or private negligence provoked divine wrath and led to military disaster. Military success was the standard of a special relationship with the Gods, and to Jupiter in particular.

Roman commanders offered vows to be fulfilled after success in battle and in their failures they vowed to compensate for their lack of success.

Roman camps had a pattern for defense and religious ritual. Each camp had its own religious personnel; standard bearers, priestly officers and their assistants. As in Rome, whatever Gods he served in his own time was up to the individual; the forts included shrines to household Gods, personal deities and deities unknown.. They celebrated Rome's official festivals. Jupiter was one typical personal shrine The efforts of military commanders to envoke the divine will were on occasions that were less successful.