The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity

Take a close, behind-the-scenes look at religion and life in the ancient Mediterranean world to see how early pagan religions helped shape the world as we know it today.

• By This Professor
• 01: Early Pagan Religion in Mesopotamia
• 02: The Rigveda and the Gods of Ancient India
• 03: State Religion in Ancient Egypt
• 04: From Myth to Religion: The Olympian Deities
• 05: Household and Local Gods in Ancient Greece
• 06: Feeding the Gods: Sacrificial Religion
• 07: Prayers, Vows, Divination, and Omens
• 08: Delphi and Other Greek Sanctuaries
• 09: Cults and Mystery Religions
• 10: Philosophical Critiques of Paganism
• 11: Greek Funerary Practices and the Afterlife
• 12: Egyptian Influences on Ancient Religion
• 13: Ancient Roman Ancestor Worship
• 14: Gods of the Roman Household
• 15: Gods of the Roman State
• 16: Priests and Ceremonies in the Roman Republic
• 17: Religion, Politics, and War in Rome
• 18: Rome’s Reactions to Foreign Religions
• 19: The Roman Calendar and Sacred Days
• 20: Julius Caesar: A Turning Point in Roman Religion
• 21: Emperor Worship in Rome
• 22: Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians
• 23: Popular Religions of Late Antiquity
• 24: The End of Paganism in the Roman Empire