The household cults in Ancient Rome: Genius, Lares, and Penates

The household deities, whose origins are at least as ancient as Rome itself, gained prominence during the Augustan Period and were regarded among the most important religious beliefs in Rome until their prohibition in the 4th century AD. This thesis aims to offer a holistic perspective on the influence of the special bond that Roman families established with their tutelary deities Genius, Lares, and Penates, through religious practices, in the formation of Roman cultural, political, and social identity. As the fundemantal unit of Roman society, institution of family had played a decisive role in shaping the social, political, religious, and cultural structure of Rome since its foundation. The domestic cult, which emerged at the intersection of family and religion, stands among the most distinctive belief systems of Rome. The reflection of this intersection in the architectural context is shrines within Roman houses. These shrines each known as lararium, feature wall paintings and statutettes depicting the deities of the household Genius, Lares, and Penates, which constitute the elements of material culture of the domestic religious rituals. These deities, whose various aspects remain unknown due to their archaic nature, are regarded among the most influential beliefs in Rome, aside from the lararium finds, in terms of their origins, religious practices, historical transformations, iconographies, epithets, typologies, and ancient narratives.