Page 22 - The Glad Tidings of the Messiah

20 The Glad Tidings of the Messiah (pbuh)

idated that some later emperors claimed divinity during their own
lives. Greek pagan religion was still widely practiced in Roman-
ruled lands, and statues of Zeus, Hermes, and Venus were erected
in the major cities' large public squares. Archaeology and literature
of the time show that every city, suburb, and even house had its
own different shrines complete with statues, icons, and a place
dedicated to making offerings and worship. The Roman rulers
used these pluralistic religions to further
their own ambitions, and so did not inter-
fere with them as long as they posed no
threat to continued Roman rule. On
the contrary, they encouraged these
idolatrous beliefs by building tem-
ples and commissioning statues
everywhere. For them, this deviant re-
ligion was a tool to inspire the masses
to loyalty and a way to control them.
Religion was an abstract concept that
was only indirectly related to the
world.
When the Romans encoun-
tered another culture, they
would seek out similar idols
and merge them into their
own pantheon in order to es-

Zeus, a Greek mythological god and
the counterpart of the Roman god
Jupiter.