The Cult of Isis and Other Mystery Religions in Pompeii and the Roman World

The ancient site of Pompeii in the region of Campania in Italy provides an extensive insight into the lives of its inhabitants and broadly into Roman life. The archaeological evidence there has helped researchers learn the sociopolitical, religious and economic attitudes of the times before the city was covered under tons of volcanic debris. It is the aim of this paper to examine the religion of Pompeii and the Roman world through the study of mystery cults and foreign religion. The paper discusses the cults of Bacchus, Cybele and others, paying special attention to the cult of Isis and its attraction to not only the general population, but specifically to women adherents. Collecting various secondary sources, the research methods used included the study of archaeological, epigraphic and primary sources to understand the mystery religions of ancient Pompeii and the Roman world. My paper first discusses the elements of mystery cults, introduces the traditional Roman pantheon, reviews the archaeological aspects of Pompeii and proceeds to the subject of the primary mystery cults. This research has allowed me to discern the probable and diverse reasons such mystery cults were introduced, accepted, and even rejected. The express attention to the cult of Isis in the paper focuses on why it gained such widespread popularity among differing individuals in Pompeii and the Roman world while considering the sociopolitical factors during the extant times the cults were in effect. In analyzing the traditional Roman religions alongside the mystery religions introduced from other parts of the Mediterranean world, it is possible to understand the fluidity of religion in the ancient world, as well as observe how and why the religious attitudes adapted to the changing world.was the question of religion to the revolutionaries; how did Rome respond to these challenges; what immediate impact did the Revolution have on people of faith; and, what were the longterm consequences for the Church in France. This is an extremely interesting area of history and religion. It is regrettable that many people have little or no idea of the intensity of the attack on the Catholic Church in France and specifically on Catholics. In addition to losing all their property and religious liberties, many were exiled or murdered. When the dust settled, Napoleon came to agreement with the Church that allowed it to remain in France, but the damage was never fully repaired. I will be using general resources, such as encyclopedias, for most of this talk, with emphasis given to historians such as Eamon Duffy and John O’Malley for their treatment of the Popes and Gemma Butros for her treatment of the suppression of the convents by the revolutionaries