Take a close, behind-the-scenes look at religion and life in the ancient Mediterranean world to see how early pagan religions helped shape the world as we know it today.
The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity
Overview
Syllabus
- By This Professor
- 01: Early Pagan Religion in Mesopotamia
- 02: The Rigveda and the Gods of Ancient India
- 03: State Religion in Ancient Egypt
- 04: From Myth to Religion: The Olympian Deities
- 05: Household and Local Gods in Ancient Greece
- 06: Feeding the Gods: Sacrificial Religion
- 07: Prayers, Vows, Divination, and Omens
- 08: Delphi and Other Greek Sanctuaries
- 09: Cults and Mystery Religions
- 10: Philosophical Critiques of Paganism
- 11: Greek Funerary Practices and the Afterlife
- 12: Egyptian Influences on Ancient Religion
- 13: Ancient Roman Ancestor Worship
- 14: Gods of the Roman Household
- 15: Gods of the Roman State
- 16: Priests and Ceremonies in the Roman Republic
- 17: Religion, Politics, and War in Rome
- 18: Rome’s Reactions to Foreign Religions
- 19: The Roman Calendar and Sacred Days
- 20: Julius Caesar: A Turning Point in Roman Religion
- 21: Emperor Worship in Rome
- 22: Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians
- 23: Popular Religions of Late Antiquity
- 24: The End of Paganism in the Roman Empire
Taught by
Hans-Friedrich Mueller, Ph.D.
