Judaism's path to monotheism was an interesting one, with Yahweh over time becoming more and more prominent at the expense of other gods. It was an anomaly in the ancient world, where polytheism was the norm.
My question is what would have happened had Rome gone on a similar path. If a single deity of the Roman pantheon (probably either Jupiter or Mars) had eclipsed the rest, how would history have taken a different course? Assuming they become entirely monotheistic, would they be able to hold their empire together without their characteristic religious tolerance? Would the exclusive worship of a single deity have created better cohesion?
My question is what would have happened had Rome gone on a similar path. If a single deity of the Roman pantheon (probably either Jupiter or Mars) had eclipsed the rest, how would history have taken a different course? Assuming they become entirely monotheistic, would they be able to hold their empire together without their characteristic religious tolerance? Would the exclusive worship of a single deity have created better cohesion?