Vedic influence in Rome

The Romans practiced a utilitarian worship. They did not worship the deities out of love. Their worship was targeted towards obtaining some form of material wealth from the deities. Their religion hence has materialistic and ritualistic attitudes. Their supreme God is called Jupiter Optimus Maximus. The name Jupiter is derived from Sanskrit words Djaus-pitar or Diu-pitar which mean “father of heaven” and “father of light”. They worship Janus before beginning anything. The word Janus is derived from the Sanskrit word Jan to be born. The Romans also believed in the Stoic Doctrine. The Stoics were philosophers who said that all souls are part of God and that God dwells in all souls. The Romans worshiped goddess Cybele who was often represented as driving chariots drawn by lions. They considered her to be a “Mother Goddess” and associated her with mountains. Goddess Cybele is identical to goddess Parvati who is said to be the daughter of mountain Himavan. She is worshiped as a “Mother Goddess” and is often shown to ride on lions. The followers of the Cybele cult were philosophers who said that everything ceases after death and there is no joy or sorrow after death. The Cybele philosophy can be shown to have been derived from the Caravaka philosophy. The Caravaka philosophy despite having a Vedic origin incorporates various forms of philosophical skepticism.The philosophy preaches materialism. The Caravakas did not believe in afterlife. They believed that after death intelligence was destroyed and nothing remains. The Roman poet Horace believed that life should be enjoyed to the full extent as after death there would be nothing.