To Seek the Boundaries of the Roman Lares: Interaction and Evolution

Abstract

Worship of the Lares is an integral part of Roman life and the Lares are ubiquitous in the art and literature of the Roman world. The Lares are frequently glossed as simply "household gods" and comprise part of domestic religion. Yet, our understanding of domestic religion is incomplete, as is our knowledge of the Lares. The purpose of this work is to provide new insight into the nature and worship of the Lares, using textual and physical evidence. I examine the development of the Lares from their initial stages around the time of Rome's founding into the Empire, noting which of their qualities are static and which are fluid. Such an approach allows us to see how the Lares interacted with their contexts and reveals that the Lares became associated with ancestors under the influence of other gods, but always retained their connections to boundaries and to silence.