Greco-Romanism (2nd Punic Victory)

Greco-Romanism is a major religion originating in the Roman Republic.

Octavian's Reforms
When Octavian was named both Pontifex Maximus and Consul he began reforms on the Roman state religion that he believed would better unify the people of Rome and build a religion that could better withstand influences from abroad. He began by solidifying the 12 major gods: Zeus, Hera, Mercury, Athena, Ares, Venus, Apollo, Hephaestus, Poseidon, Hades, Diana, and Ceres. He alternated using the Greek and Roman names for the gods to better show a unity between the Greek and Roman people. He also reinforced the concept of Demigods. Exceptional mortals who are the child of a mortal and a god such as Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome, who was portrayed as the son of Athena. He looked at other religions and some of the similarities between them and focused on some aspects he believed could bring about stronger feelings towards the faith. For instance, he focused more on Hades as the Judge of the Dead, who would measure a mans soul on his death and decide whether he deserved eternal paradise or eternal damnation. Bringing the concept of the afterlife and its rewards or punishments to the forefront made the religion a more important aspect of everyday life, as men had to weigh their actions against the rest of their lives to ensure they arrived in Elysium rather than Tartarus.

Other reforms included standardizing the holy days and festivals, and near the end of his reign, barred the clergy from holding both political and ecumenical offices to portray the clergy as men of the spirit and of the people, rather than people of power.

Sects
Throughout the years many new sects have arisen due to certain events and conditions.

The Cult of Hephaestus
During the industrial revolution while many technological advancements were being made a group emerged who believed that Hephaestus had overthrown Zeus as king of the gods and was making his reign known through his inspiration of earthly scientists and engineers, and imparting his godly knowledge to mankind. As technology advanced further and development began accelerating, more and more people began to believe this. The Cult of Hephaestus, also known as Hephaestism has become the second largest sect of Greco-Romanism.