Similarities Between Ancient Rome And Hinduism

It is very common for one to acknowledge the differences between different religions, races, or social classes. One may compare Hinduism and Buddhism, or the different social classes of ancient Rome. It is almost unlikely that, unless learning about these cultures, one will compare,or even contrast, a religion, like Hinduism, to a city and empire, such as, ancient Rome. Within their many differences, there are plenty of similarities found in Hindu and ancient Roman cultures, including dutifulness, polytheistic and sacrificial religious practices, and social or religious classes. Dutifulness, or being motivated by a sense of duty, is one virtue associated with both Hindu and Roman cultures. In Hinduism, many follow the practices of ‘dharma’,

Men were often given the role of authority in their family (Men of Ancient Rome). They had so much control in this role that they could put up children in their family to sell as slaves. Women, on the other hand, had “the duty of looking after the home and to nurture a family” (Cartwright). Their duty outside of the home was very limited, for men were the only ones who could participate in political assemblies. Along with gender roles, classes held their own responsibilities. Plebeians, or peasants, were obligated to work for patricians (The Romans - Society). Patricians, on the other hand, were from noble families and had a lot of political power in the Senate. Patricians were very influential in ancient Rome, and would only do business and marry people in their own

Some of these gods included Mars, the god of war, Jupiter, the supreme god, and Jupiter’s wife, Juno, and daughter, Minerva. Rome’s main gods were also adaptations of many Greek gods, but with new names. For example, Jupiter for Rome was Zeus for the Greeks, although his personality was somewhat different. Juno was equivalent to Hera, the greek goddess of marriage and family (Cartwright). Similarly, both Juno and Hera are depicted as goddesses filled with jealousy. Jupiter and Juno’s daughter, Minerva, is equivalent to Athena. Other gods were adopted into Roman religion as the empire grew. As seen in Hinduism, roman cities would often have their own “patron god” and would make temples for these specific gods throughout their