What religion were the Pompeians?

Answer 1

The major deity for the town of Pompeii was Venus. She was worshipped over other deities as she was born from the sea. The sea had a major importance for Pompeii as this was where most of their trade came from. Therefore, the citizens of Pompeii had a major "connection" with this goddess.

There were many, many other deities worshipped in Pompeii, however each person had their own preference. Each city / town (such as pompeii) had it's own deity, each street had it's own deity and then each household had it's own deity (called a Genius or a Lares.)

Each house and street had it's own altar to the gods called a Lalarium. Here prayers and offerings were given to the god of the street / household.

Perhaps the most popular deity, especially just before the eruption in 72 A.D. was the Egyptian goddess Isis. We can tell this as her temple was the only temple to be completely (or nearly completely) rebuilt after the earth quake in 62 A.D. Other temples were ignored or put on hold until the rebuilding of the Temple of Isis was completed. Even the temple of Venus was not completed.

Isis was very popular with the women, the poor and the slaves. As Pompeii was a middle class town, these groups of people would have made up the majority of numbers, hence the popularity of the religion.

Answer 2

Most inhabitants of and visitors to Pompeii in AD 89, when it erupted, would have been Roman. Romans had household gods, had a pantheon of gods, and considered some of their emperors as gods, but they were fairly free and easy about religion. Adherents of the monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Judaism could not subscribe to the casual obeisance paid to the household gods and the pantheon, and the supposed reverence for emperors.

Answer 3

Chuck Norriscism.