The Romans were a culture that was very warlike and conquered many civilizations. Ironically, the Romans also believed in peace and tolerance (just under total Roman rule) so whenever they conquered a civilization, they only required that the people swear loyalty to Rome and worship their ruler, Caesar, like a god. The people could continue to worship and live life pretty much however they wanted but they were second-class compared to Roman citizens. Often the Roman soldiers would bring back bits of those cultures and add them to the Roman culture.
When Rome conquered Greece, they ended up bringing back the Greek religion, but of course they had to Romanize it so they renamed most of the gods and goddesses and changed some of the myths and stories a bit so they would fit better into Roman history and lifestyle.
Read about some (because there were too many for us to learn in this class) of the Roman gods and goddesses below!
When Rome conquered Greece, they ended up bringing back the Greek religion, but of course they had to Romanize it so they renamed most of the gods and goddesses and changed some of the myths and stories a bit so they would fit better into Roman history and lifestyle.
Read about some (because there were too many for us to learn in this class) of the Roman gods and goddesses below!
Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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JunoJuno is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Hera. She is the Queen of the gods, wife to Jupiter, and sister of Pluto, Neptune, Ceres, Vesta, and Jupiter. She is also mother to two sons, Mars and Vulcan (where we get the word "volcano").
Juno is the goddess of women and marriage and her symbol is the peacock. We get the English word "junoesque" (which means a tall, beautiful woman) from Juno's name. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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NeptuneNeptune is the Roman name for the Greek god Poseidon. Neptune is brother to Jupiter, Juno, Pluto, Ceres, and Vesta.
Neptune was the god of the seas, earthquakes, and horses and he rode dolphins or seahorses (actual horses with fish tails). He carried with him his symbol, the trident which was essentially a three-pronged pitchfork. Although a good portion of the Roman Empire was the Mediterranean Sea, Neptune was not as important of a god as some others. This was because most people at that time weren't good swimmers or sailers so they were actually scared of the water. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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CeresCeres is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Demeter and is the goddess of the Earth. She is sister to Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Pluto, and Vesta. She is also mother to Proserpine/Persephone who is married to Pluto.
Pluto saw Proserpine one day and fell in love with her, kidnapped her and took her to the Underworld. When Ceres couldn't find her daughter anywhere on Earth she got very sad and refused to let the plants grown anymore until she found Proserpine. Pluto finally admitted that he had Proserpine with him, but since she had eaten food of the Dead in the Underworld she could only return to the Overworld for six month a year. This is how the Romans explained seasons because whenever Proserpine returns to the Underworld, Ceres stops everything from growing (Fall and Winter). When Proserpine returns, everything starts growing again (Spring and Summer). Since Ceres is the goddess of the Earth and controls plant growth, she also controls crops. Thus, her symbol is the cornucopia, a horn full of vegetables and fruit. We get the English word "cereal" from Ceres name. |
MinervaMinerva is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war strategy. She's also the goddess of arts and crafts and is known for her amazing weaving ability. Minerva is the daughter of Jupiter; she was born fully grown and sprung out of Jupiter's head with her spear and shield.
Because she is the goddess of wisdom, her symbol is a wise animal - the owl. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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MercuryMercury is the Roman name for the Greek god Hermes who is the god of travelers and thieves. He had winged sandals and a winged staff with two snakes winding around it (called a caduceus) which helped him fly as he carried messages for the gods.
Mercury is son of Jupiter and Maia, the goddess of growth. He is a tricky god and likes to play pranks on the other gods, often getting himself into trouble. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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DianaDiana is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Artemis, the goddess of the moon and the hunt. She is the twin sister of Apollo (god of the sun), and is the daughter of Jupiter and Leto/Latona who is a minor goddess of women and motherhood.
Since Diana is the goddess of the hunt, her symbols are the bow and arrow. She is an excellent archer, rivaled by none. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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ApolloApollo is the name of the Roman and Greek god of the sun. He is the twin brother of Diana (goddess of the moon and the hunt) and son of Jupiter and Leto/Latona who is a minor goddess of women and motherhood.
As the god of the sun, Apollo was in charge of moving the sun across the sky each day. He drove his chariot of fiery horses across the sky, bringing light to the world. Apollo had many talents and was also the god of music and poetry. As such, his symbol was a musical instrument - the lyre, which was a stringed instrument similar to a harp. Apollo also had a famous oracle (or priestess) at a city in Greece called Delphi. It was thought that this oracle could tell the future. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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VenusVenus is the Roman name for the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was not related by blood to the crazy Roman god family tree, but unfortunately she married into it! Venus was born in the sea foam and made it to shore by floating on a scalloped sea shell, which is now considered one of her symbols.
Venus was the goddess of love and was considered to be a very beautiful goddess, obsessed with her looks and beauty (hence her other symbol was the mirror). Jupiter thought she was too beautiful and her beauty would cause too many problems if she stayed single so he had her marry his son, Vulcan, who was greatly disfigured and ugly. Venus, unfortunately, fell in love with her husband's brother, Mars. She and Mars had a son named Cupid who followed in his mother's footsteps and became the god of love. Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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Image created by Sara Otterstaetter, 2011
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MarsMars is the Roman name for the Greek god Ares, and is the god of war. He is brother to Vulcan, and son to Jupiter and Juno. He also had a relationship with Vulcan's wife, Venus, and they had a son named Cupid who became the god of love.
It is thought that Mars was also the father to Romulus and Remus, the twin brother founders of Rome. Romans were great soldiers and over the years expanded from one small city to a huge empire that covered a very large portion of present-day Europe. As the god of war, it would make sense then that Mars' symbols would be a sword and shield. We get the English words "March" and martial from the name "Mars." March was the month Romans usually started fighting again after winter. Martial means warlike. |