<P> Religion in Ancient Rome includes the ancestral ethnic religion of the city of Rome that the Romans used to define themselves as a people , as well as the religious practices of peoples brought under Roman rule , in so far as they became widely followed in Rome and Italy . The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious , and attributed their success as a world power to their collective piety ( pietas ) in maintaining good relations with the gods . The Romans are known for the great number of deities they honored , a capacity that earned the mockery of early Christian polemicists . </P>
what effects did the roman empire have on different roles in government and religion
attributed their success as a world power to their collective piety ( pietas ) in maintaining good relations with the gods