The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden by Harriet I. Flower

The strongest aspects of the book in my opinion are where Flower is able to relate written accounts of the worship of the Lares to the spectacularly well preserved remains of their shrines in the city of Pompeii. Throughout we are guided through the evidence both for the domestic cult of the Lares and for the distinct worship of neighbourhood or compital Lares at local crossroads shrines.

Flower makes a strong case for the status of the Lares as the primary gods of the ancient Roman hearth and home. I recently finished reading The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden following a recent post on the subject of household shrines by u/voces-mysticae. However, it presents a conundrum to Hellenists / Roman pagans as it challenges the view of Vesta as the primary goddess of the hearth and home. Flower's The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden is a fascinating book and is recommended. I've not participated on this sub before, I'm usually on r/Hellenism but I hoped this sub wouldn't mind having a crack at this question as well. From the cold northern regions of Britannia to the hot desert of Ægyptus, local gods were assimilated in to the Roman religious model.

The religion is a polytheistic religion, with a varied characteristic to their gods. It lacks a defined moral as separate from the moral codes of the world in which the religion finds itself.

The religion is a non-initiatory practice, with no emphasis on revelation or other doctrinal dogma. It is a traditionalist, ritualistic religion, with a clear delineation of belief from religious practice. Roman Paganism is an orthopraxic religion, stressing the correct performance of ritual over correct belief. Pietas, being the sincere and due diligence in fulfilling the requirements of the partnership we have with the gods, and honoring all the obligations that we undertake in performance of our duties. Religio, being the attitude that the gods are benevolent partners of mortals regarding the management of the world, and that the rituals and proscriptions of worship are practiced to to give honor for their help. Roman religion is founded on two primary tenets:

Known variously as Roman Paganism, Religio Romana, and Cultus Deorum Romanorum, /r/RomanPaganism represents a diverse pre-Christian religion of a geopolitical force that helped to lay the foundation of much of the modern world. r/RomanPaganism is a subreddit dedicated to the creation of a public space for use in the discussion, experience, and creation of a community of understanding of the various forms of Roman reconstructionist, reconstructionist-derived, and non-reconstructionist religious expression.

The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden by Harriet I. Flower