ABSTRACT
We have explored the meaning of three gods to Valerian rhetoric, uncovering living deities, who concerned themselves with the moral conduct of human beings. We have also taken care to put Valerius in his historiographical, cultural, and political context. We have in our efforts not to omit context, examined a mere fraction of Valerius’ work. We must thus begin to expand our focus to religion in more general terms. Human beings can mediate their relations to gods through ritual. In traditional Roman religion, a significant role was played by divination, sacrifice, and associated rites in the affairs of state, including many a bitterly contested political battle.1 Valerius, on the other hand, lived in quieter, more wholesome times. Rather than struggle in the old forum over affairs of state, citizens were free to improve their personal conduct, as we have seen, by modeling themselves on republican exemplars divorced from historical context but animated, inspired, and approved by gods. Now we must turn to the role played by ritual in Valerius’ moral rhetoric.
