A Crisis of ‘Atheism’ in Ancient Rome? On the Perception of Nonreligion as a Threat in the Roman Empire

Abstract

AbstractThe phenomenon of ancient ‘atheism’ has, over the years, attracted some attention from classical scholars, with A.B. Drachmann’s 1922 monograph ‘Atheism in Pagan Antiquity’ providing a starting point for further enquiries. The topic was given a new grounding in 2015 with Tim Whitmarsh’s seminal study ‘Battling the Gods’, which, however, mainly focuses on Greece. The way the Romans dealt with ‘atheism’ is still largely unexplored, and one aspect of this complex topic is the question if ‘godlessness’ was perceived as a threat to the stability of the Empire, especially in times of political unrest. After first elucidating some terminological and methodological issues, this question is examined by taking a close look at a passage of the ‘Speech of Maecenas’ in Cassius Dio’s ‘Roman History’, and the religous policies of Augustus.KeywordsAtheismNonreligionCassius DioRoman religionNon-beliefAgnosticismReligious policyAugustusAtheótesÁtheosCrisis