Religion

Roman religion was polytheistic like that of the Greeks and the Celts. Numerous divinities with different capabilities shared the veneration of mortals. Priests, often grouped in colleges, exercised authority over sacrifices, prayers, banquets, processions or the deposit of offerings. These celebrations punctuated the year’s calendar and provided the population with moments of leisure at a time when regular Sunday rest did not exist.

Little is known about religious life in the colony of Nyon. The temple in the forum, its existence now formally attested, was probably dedicated to the imperial cult. For the time being no other sanctuaries have been discovered in the region. A small altar dedicated to Mercury bears direct witness to the link between the believer and the god through the ritual of the vow.