Le fait religieux à travers ses représentations, pratiques et rituels (partie 2) | Colloque 6/8

Le fait religieux à travers ses représentations, pratiques et rituels (partie 2) | Colloque 6/8

Religious Phenomenon Through Its Representations, Practices, and Rituals (Part 2) | Symposium 6/8

Humanities, Social Sciences & Thought Religion & Beliefs QRReligion and beliefs
🎙 Musée de l'Homme 👥 55K 📅 June 7, 2026 ⏱ 102 min 👁 485 📄 conference 🧭 2026-09-06
Available in: English (current) Français

Keywords

VerminusRoman religionepidemicsparasitesdivine networks

Summary

This conference, part of a symposium on religious facts, presents two communications. The first, by Diane Ruiz-Moiret, focuses on the Roman god Verminus, a minor deity associated with parasites. The speaker critically examines the sole inscription attesting to this god, discovered in 1876 near the Servian Wall. She challenges the common hypothesis linking the dedication of the altar to epidemics in 175 or 142 BC, arguing that the literary sources do not mention parasites and that the motif of unburied bodies is a literary topos. Instead, she proposes that Verminus was a divinity of diseases, invoked to protect crops, herds, and humans from parasitic infestations. She situates the god within networks of similar divinities like Febris and Robigo, and highlights the liminal location of the sanctuary on the city wall, suggesting a prophylactic function. The second communication, by Marie-Pierre Coumont and colleagues, explores the probable role of entheogenic substances and altered states of consciousness in spiritual practices from prehistory to today, based on archaeological and ethnographic evidence.

167 words

Critical Evaluation

Value of the Information & Strength of the Argument

The presentation offers a valuable critical reassessment of a poorly understood deity, demonstrating strong argumentation by deconstructing previous hypotheses and proposing a more nuanced interpretation based on linguistic analysis and comparative religious studies. The speaker effectively uses primary sources and scholarly works to support her claims, and the discussion with the audience adds depth to the topic.

Scientific Rigor, Source Quality, Title Accuracy

The presentation demonstrates high scientific rigor, with careful analysis of epigraphic and literary sources. The speaker cites specific scholars and their works, and critically evaluates the evidence. The title accurately reflects the content, which is a detailed case study within the broader theme of religious representations and practices. The conference is well-structured and the arguments are clearly presented.

130 words

Title / Content Match

The title accurately reflects the content, which explores religious practices and rituals through archaeological and historical case studies.

Quality & Reliability

8/10

The conference presents original research based on epigraphic, linguistic, and literary sources, with a critical approach to previous interpretations. The speaker demonstrates methodological rigor in questioning established hypotheses and grounding arguments in textual and archaeological evidence.

Key Moments

Cited Sources

Concurring Sources

Contribution & Novelties

The presentation offers a novel interpretation of the god Verminus, challenging the traditional association with epidemics and proposing a more nuanced understanding based on linguistic and comparative analysis. It highlights the importance of considering divine networks and liminal spaces in Roman religion.

Pour aller plus loin :

  • Roman religion — Overview of Roman religious practices and beliefs.
  • Epigraphy — Study of inscriptions, relevant to the analysis of the Verminus altar.
  • Entheogens — Substances used in religious or spiritual contexts, relevant to the second communication.

84 words

Radar Profile

The radar profile shows high scores in information quantity, quality, and reliability, with a slightly lower technical level, indicating a well-researched and accessible presentation for an academic audience.

Reliability 8/10