The Religion of Numa And Other Essays on the Religion of Ancient Rome

This collection of five concise essays walks listeners through the evolution of Roman religious life, beginning with the legendary king whose name has become synonymous with the earliest rites. It shows how the fledgling city’s worship was shaped by the arrival of foreign peoples and ideas, turning a modest set of customs into a complex system that mirrored Rome’s growing power.

The author divides the narrative into distinct phases—the formative kingdom, the reforms of later monarchs, the early Republic’s mystical influx, the later Republic’s waning faith, and the revival under Augustus. Drawing on the seminal work of a renowned scholar, each chapter balances scholarly insight with a human‑scale view, portraying ancient Romans as people driven by the same hopes, fears, and curiosities that animate us today.

Presented as an accessible introduction rather than a dense academic tome, the book invites listeners to appreciate how religion acted as a barometer for societal change, offering a vivid portrait of a civilization whose spiritual legacy still echoes in modern culture.