How did ancient Romans conciled their pagan Gods and Goddesses with Christianity?

Question

They even forbade the Olympic Games and the worship of the ancient Greek Gods and Godesses...

Answer 1

It must be noted that the Roman Catholic Church made an active effort to blend many pagan traditions with Christianity as a method of widespread appeal.  Many pagan references still remain.  The title of Pope is derived from the title held by the highest pagan priest in ancient Rome.  I would say that widespread worship of the pagan gods just eventually declined over the years.

It must also be noted that at the fall of Constantinople in 1453, some individuals felt their coming destruction was happening because they had abandoned the old pagan gods.  Before the city fell, some people carried out pagan rituals in a last effort attempt to save the city.  (Constantinople, however, was not Roman Catholic.  One of the reasons why it didn't receive much aid from the West.)

Answer 2

As a group that believed in many deities, most simply "added" a new one at first.  Little by little, the political structure made it the "state" religion" and banished all of the other gods and goddesses to "devil status".  n It is easier to control the belief in a single god than a pantheon of deity.

The Rituals and holidays slowly were taken over and attributed to the new Christian god.  

Answer 3

Just made them Saints. If you don't believe me feel free to look up Saint Aphrodite.

Answer 4

The Pagan world came to an end, as the Christian reign

of terror erupted after 300 CE. The Pagan Priests and

Priestesses were put to death and their followers were

forced to convert to Christianity or face torture and death.

Any use of Pagan symbols or holidays is merely a minor

issue compared to the genocide that preceeded it. See

the link below for historical details.

Jean

Answer 5

A lot of people here said that ancient pagan gods were made into Catholics saints.  I'm amazed how many people said that because that just isn't true.  The most ancient Christian Saints were people who were persecuted and killed by the Romans; they were most certainly not venerated by the pagans.  To claim that Mary was a version of a pagan goddess is also silly -- when Christians were still persecuted, they venerated Mary.  Historians debunked the myth that pagan gods were made into saints.  If they were, why is it that we have no Saint Zeus or Saint-whatever-else?

Some saints were given pagan names by their parents, but that doesn't mean they themselves were once pagan deities.  The historical timeline would make that impossible -- they existed around the first and second centuries, long after the pagans already made their gods' names up.

Answer 6

A lot of saints were given attributes of pagan gods. For example, the Virgin Mary became like a mother goddess.

Answer 7

Pagan cults went underground, much Christianity once did,but in an effort to smooth the transition, many Pagan rituals were renamed as were many Gods and Goddesses. It has been posited that The Virgin Mary is in reality,The Virgin Goddess,Athena. Another example which many are familiar with is the transition of the high holy day,Samhain into the (relatively ) benign Halloween

Answer 8

For one thing, they turned all the pagan festivals into Christian holidays.

Saturnalia - Christmas

Lupercalia - St. Valentine's Day

Vernal Equinox - Easter