The Economics of Roman Religion
From institutions to individuals, religion shaped the Roman economy. Temples served as treasuries and banks, and priesthoods came with political power. The expansion of Roman religion transformed economies throughout the Empire, impacting established institutions and creating new centres of sacred consumption and production. Roman religion mobilised vast quantities of wealth and resources, but tensions between traditional piety and financial expenditure remained. This dynamic interplay between religion and the economy created a complex system that has hitherto received little attention.
This OxREP conference will bring together an international body of scholars to discuss the economic role of religion in the Roman world. A variety of historical and archaeological approaches will explore the subject throughout the Republican and Imperial periods. Through examination of the function of religious institutions, the role of priests and patrons, and the provincial impact of Roman religion, this meeting aims to better understand the nature and extent of religion's influence on the economy and how it changed with the growth of the Empire.
The event will be held at the Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies in Oxford. The two-day programme will consist of four sessions of 45-minute papers. Each paper will be followed by 15 minutes of discussion.
Programme
Download the programme and the abstracts.
| Thursday 22nd September: Religious Institutions and the Impact of the Roman Empire | |
| 10.00 | Welcome and introduction Andrew Wilson (University of Oxford) |
| 10.30 | Investing in Religion: Religion and the economy in pre-Roman central Italy Charlotte Potts (University of Oxford) |
| 11.30 | Coffee break |
| 12.00 | Cult Economy in the Eastern Provinces Marietta Horster (University of Mainz) |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Sacred Flocks and Herds? The implications of animal sacrifice at remote rural Romano-Celtic shrines Tony King (University of Winchester) |
| 15.00 | Measuring Divine Devotion: Comparing the size and scale of animal offerings in the pre-Roman and Roman provinces Rachel Hesse (University of Oxford) |
| 16.00 | Coffee break |
| 16.30 | Impact of the Roman Conquest on Temple Economies in Egypt Marie-Pierre Chaufray (CNRS-Ausonius) |
| 17.30 | Discussion |
| 18.00 | Wine reception |
| 19.30 | Dinner for speakers |
| Friday 23rd September: Costs and Financing | |
| 10.30 | Cost Differences in Temple Architecture between Rome and the Provinces Javier Á. Domingo Magaña (Pontifical University of the Holy Cross) |
| 11.30 | Coffee break |
| 12.00 | Animals in Roman Religion: The economics behind the rituals Michael MacKinnon (University of Winnipeg) |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Moneychangers in the Temple? Coins, ritual and religion in the Roman world David Wigg-Wolf (Römisch-Germanische Kommission des Deutschen Archäologischen) |
| 15.00 | Guilds in a World Full of Gods Koen Verboven (Ghent University) |
| 16.00 | Coffee break |
| 16.30 | Summary and Response Greg Woolf (Institute of Classical Studies) |
| 17.00 | Concluding Discussion |
| 17:30 | Wine reception |
