Ritual Killing in Ancient Rome: Homicide and Roman Superiority

Abstract

This research paper will explore the changing nature of human sacrifice in Ancient Rome as attitudes shifted away from the idea of human sacrifice. Ancient Romans outlawed human sacrifice after increasing discomfort, but ritual killing still occurred because it was justified in a way that preserved Roman superiority. This paper will examine how the ancient Romans interpreted the favor of the gods to perform ritual killings, and we will explain why it was justified, according to the Ancient Romans, to differentiate between human sacrifice and ritual killing. This paper will use a combination of primary and secondary sources to analyze the role of homicide in ancient Roman religion.