U hrvatskim se muzejima kao i u muzejima svih zemalja čije je
područje nekoć bilo u sastavu Rimskoga Carstva, čuvaju brojni
spomenici koji svjedoče o religioznosti rimskih građana. A
budući da su se Rimljani, kako svjedoči Plinije (N. H. 6,56), smatrali
najpobožnijima od svih naroda, taj veliki broj sačuvanih kultnih
spomenika nipošto ne čudi. U savezu ljudi i bogova u starome
Rimu njegovi su građani uvijek i svagdje poštivali zadane kultne
obrede, prinosili žrtve i upućivali molitve, pa je tako do danas
sačuvan velik broj žrtvenika, votivnih natpisa i reljefa te većih ili
manjih skulptura. Isto su tako sačuvani hramovi i svetišta ili pak
natpisi koji govore o njihovu nekadašnjem postojanju.
Na rimsku su religiju značajno utjecali i drugi narodi s kojima
su Rimljani dolazili u doticaj, ponajprije Grci. Osim božanstava koja
su bila izvorno rimska, a koja su pod utjecajem grčke mitologije
i ikonografije uz svoja osnovna poprimala i neka svojstva grčkih
bogova, Rimljani su štovali i neka orijentalna božanstva, kao
i poneka od autohtonih božanstava čije su kultove zatekli u
osvojenim provincijama. O takvoj religioznoj praksi Rimljana, o
štovanju autohtonih božanstava u provincijama, uz ona rimska i
orijentalna, svjedoči i stanoviti broj kultnih spomenika s područja
Hrvatske.Croatian museums, like the museums of all countries whose territory
was once encompassed by the Roman Empire, hold numerous
monuments which testify to the piety of Roman citizens. And since
the Romans, as stated by Pliny (N.H. 6,56), considered themselves
the most pious of all peoples, this large number of preserved cult
artefacts is not in the least surprising. In the alliance of peoples and
deities in old Rome, its citizens always and everywhere observed
established cult rituals, offered sacrifices and addressed prayers, so
to this day there are numerous preserved altars, votive inscriptions
and reliefs and sculptures both large and small. By the same token,
temples and shrines, or simply inscriptions, have also been preserved
which additionally speak of their existence.
Roman religion was also greatly influenced by the other peoples
with whom the Romans came into contact, most notably the Greeks.
Besides those deities which were originally Roman, and which besides
their own attributes assumed some of those of Greek gods under
the influence of Greek mythology and iconography, the Romans also
worshipped certain Oriental deities, as well as certain indigenous
deities whose cults they found in the provinces that they conquered.
A certain number of cult monuments from Croatia’s territory testify to
this Roman religious practice of worshipping indigenous deities in the
provinces in addition to Roman and Oriental gods
