The Pagan World: Ancient Religions before Christianity

Course Overview

Course No. 2852

Explore the vibrant polytheistic traditions that shaped Mediterranean civilizations before Christianity’s rise with Professor Hans-Friedrich Mueller.

This 24-lecture course examines:

• Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek and Roman pantheons
• Daily religious practices from sacrifices to divination
• How politics intertwined with sacred rituals
• Mystery cults and philosophical critiques
• The transition from paganism to Christianity

Video Lectures

01: Early Pagan Religion in Mesopotamia (35 min)

Decode the Enuma Elish creation myth and its insights into power and family dynamics.

02: The Rigveda and the Gods of Ancient India (32 min)

Explore Hinduism’s ancient roots through its earliest sacred text.

03: State Religion in Ancient Egypt (30 min)

Trace Atum’s rise from chaos and how politics shaped Egyptian theology.

04: From Myth to Religion: The Olympian Deities (32 min)

Examine Zeus’ complex nature and the line between myth and faith.

05: Household and Local Gods in Ancient Greece (30 min)

Meet the deities governing Athenian domestic life and marriage.

06: Feeding the Gods: Sacrificial Religion (30 min)

Understand animal sacrifice’s sacred role across ancient cultures.

07: Prayers, Vows, Divination, and Omens (27 min)

Interpret signs from smoke patterns to bird flights as divine messages.

08: Delphi and Other Greek Sanctuaries (27 min)

Tour Apollo’s oracle site and Asklepios’ healing center at Epidaurus.

09: Cults and Mystery Religions (29 min)

Discover secretive groups offering women spiritual empowerment.

10: Philosophical Critiques of Paganism (32 min)

Contrast state religion with Pythagorean and Stoic alternative views.

11: Greek Funerary Practices and the Afterlife (29 min)

Analyze burial rituals preserving conservative social values.

12: Egyptian Influences on Ancient Religion (28 min)

Track concepts of immortality and the Western afterlife’s origins.

13: Ancient Roman Ancestor Worship (31 min)

Learn how cultus deorum fueled Rome’s improbable rise to power.

14: Gods of the Roman Household (29 min)

Meet deities governing everything from door hinges to fertility.

15: Gods of the Roman State (31 min)

See how Rome absorbed conquered peoples’ gods through interpretatio Romana.

16: Priests and Ceremonies in the Roman Republic (34 min)

Study the Vestal Virgins and priestly colleges maintaining cosmic order.

17: Religion, Politics, and War in Rome (36 min)

Decode bird omens that dictated military and political decisions.

18: Rome’s Reactions to Foreign Religions (35 min)

Witness the violent suppression of Bacchanalia cult gatherings.

19: The Roman Calendar and Sacred Days (34 min)

Track how Caesar reformed Rome’s chaotic lunar scheduling system.

20: Julius Caesar: A Turning Point (34 min)

Analyze how Caesar weaponized divine ancestry for political power.

21: Emperor Worship in Rome (34 min)

Examine Augustus’ transformation of state religion around imperial cults.

22: Zoroastrians, Jews, and Christians (31 min)

Compare early monotheisms coexisting with Roman paganism.

23: Popular Religions of Late Antiquity (31 min)

Understand why most Romans still clung to traditional gods post-Constantine.

24: The End of Paganism in the Roman Empire (35 min)

Explore Christianity’s gradual displacement of ancient Mediterranean faiths.