Rome - the Eternal City. Today, it's a place dominated by Christianity. Its churches rule the skyline. Its faithful pack the streets. Every year, thousands upon thousands of pilgrims from across the world flock here to worship in the place that is truly the beating heart of the Catholic faith. For many, Rome's status as a holy city begins with Christianity. But in fact, its origin as a sacred site owes everything to its pre-Christian past. It was exotic pagan deities who were first credited with transforming a hillside village to the capital of the most powerful empire the world has ever known. These were the gods of thunder, love, war and wisdom, who dominated the city for a thousand years and held its fortune in their hands.


罗马——永恒之城。如今这座城市被基督教所主导。放眼望去，一座座天主教堂勾勒出罗马的轮廓线，大街小巷挤满了虔诚的信徒。每年有成千上万的教徒从世界各地涌向罗马，在这个被称作天主教心脏的地方朝拜。 很多人认为罗马因基督教而得名圣城。其实不然，这里之所以有圣城之名，完全得益于前基督教时期的历史。 罗马从一座山间乡村发展成世上最强大帝国的首都，首先是因为异教神。这几位就是雷神、爱神、战神和智慧女神，他们统治了罗马1000年，并掌握着它的命运。