roman gods with a greek flavor
The ancient Greeks had a custom of paying reverence to all gods, known or unknown, and when they colonized the Italian peninsula they readily adopted the gods of the existing Celtic inhabitants and adapted those most like their own gods so that the mythology of the new Roman city state had a distinctive ancient Greek flavor.
The original Celtic mythology differed from the Greek in that their gods were more barbarous and their mythology lacked the imagination and the poetry so characteristic of the Greek. Saturn, the original Celtic Roman god of agriculture was readily identified with the old Greek god, Cronus. A temple was erected in honor of Saturn at the foot of the Capitoline Hill and befitting his status this temple housed the public treasury and the laws of the state.
Ops, the original Roman goddess of plenty, and wife of Saturn, was also readily identified with the old Greek goddess, Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus who, like the Roman Jupiter, was supreme god of heaven but, unlike Jupiter,was controlled by the Fates and made appearances on earth. A temple in honor of Jupiter was also erected on the Capitoline Hill in the city of Rome, and the Romans represented him holding in his right hand a sheaf of thunderbolts and an eagle standing beside him.
Juno, the original Roman goddess of married women was similar to the Greek goddess Hera, but whereas Hera was the unbending queen of heaven, Juno was seen as a kindly, matronly housewife. Juno had three temples dedicatedto her in Rome, and on the 1st of March a festival -- the Matronalia -- was solemnly celebrated in her honor by all the married women of Rome.
Minerva, the original Roman goddess of feminine accomplishments, was easily identified with the Pallas-Athene of the Greeks. Minerva, Jupiter and Juno were the only three divinities worshipped in the Capitol, and the Ludi Maximi -- great games --were held in their joint honor.
The Roman goddess Ceres is actually the same as the Greek Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, for which the Cerealia festival was held on the 12th of April, lasting several days.
The Roman goddess of love and purity, Venus, was like the Greek Aphrodite but her worship was only established in Rome in later times. The month of April was sacred for Venus, with festivals, called Veneralia, held in her honor.
Unusually, the worship of Apollo never achieved the importance in Rome as it did in Greece. Apollo was also a later addition to the pantheon of Roman gods.The first temple in honor of Apollo was erected by the Romans about 430 BC to avert a plague, but he did not achieve prominence until the time of Augustus. The most renowned of all the existing statues of Apollo is the Apollo Belvedere found in 1503 among the ruins of ancient Antium and purchased by Pope Julius II who moved it to the Vatican.
The Roman goddess Diana was identified with the Greek Artemis, but in effect she was more like the Greek Hecate exercising witchcraft and evil charms. The first temple dedicated to Diana was erected on the Aventine hill by Servius Tullius who introduced her worship into Rome.
Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, was similar to the Greek Nike and was highly honored by the Romans for whom love of conquest was a passion. It was a custom among victorious Roman generals to erect a new statue of Victoria to commemorate their victories.
Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and gain did not gain the identity of the Greek Hermes until much later. The first temple in honor of Mercury was erected near the Circus Maximus as early as 495 BC,and on the festival of Mercury, 25th of May, merchants sprinkled themselves and their merchandise with Mercury's holy water in order to ensure successful business deals.
The Greek god Poseidon was worshipped as Neptune in Rome, and no naval expedition from Rome took place without a sacrifice to this great god of the sea -- in much the same way that no battle took place without a sacrifice to the great god of war, Mars.
The Greek god Ares was worshipped in Rome as Mars. Initially, the Italian tribes worshipped Mars as the god of spring and agriculture but with the establishment of the Roman city state and activities of war, Mars became the god of war, second in importance to Jupiter.
First instituted by Numa Pompilius, Mars was assigned twelve priests called Salii, or the dancers, from the sacred dances, in full armour, which characterised his worship.The priests were always chosen from the noblest families in Rome and in their care was entrusted the sacred shields (copies of a shield sent from heaven when Numa was imploring Jupiter's protection for the newly-founded city of Rome).
A purely Roman goddess, intimately associated with Mars as god of war, was Bellona. Probably of Sabine origin, Bellona accompanies Mars in battle, guiding his chariot, and dressed in full armor with dishevelled hair she bears a scourge in one hand, and a lance in the other, and inspires him with mad rage and cruelty.
Liber was an ancient Roman god who presided over vegetation and quickly was identified with the Greek Dionysus, god of wine, and was worshipped under the name of Bacchus. The Liberalia was celebrated on the 17th of March.
Originally, the Romans had no god of the lower world like the Greek Hades. They did believe, however, that at the center of the earch was a cave called Orcus which was the final resting place for the dead. When the Greek colonized Italy brining with them their religion and literature, the Roman Orcus became the Greek Hades, and the god of the undeworld was named Pluto. There were no temples in Rome erected to this divinity.
Roman gods without Greek counterparts continued to be worshipped, most important of which was Janus who, from the earliest time, was regarded by the Romans with great veneration as a divinity who presided over the beginnings of all things and ranked only second to Jupiter.
Hence, January, the beginning of a new year. Janus appears to have been the ancient sun-god of the Italiantribes, and shrines were erected to him over the doors of houses. He was shownas having two faces in relation to a gift from Saturn (Cronus) that allowed himto see both past and future.
Like the ancient Greek gods, it is likely to Janus was the most ancient king of Italy, whose exemplary life was rewarded in death with deification.
Other Roman gods without Greek counterparts that continued to be worshipped include Flora, the goddess of flowers; Robigus, a mischievious worker of evil; Pomona, the goddess of orchards and fruit-trees; Vertumnus, the god of garden and field produce; Pales -- in male form the god of shepherds and flocks andin female form the goddess of husbandry; Picus, Silvanus and Faunus the woodland divinities; Picumnus and Pilumnus the gods of new-born infants; Terminus, the god of boundaries and landmarks; Consus, the god of secret counsel; Libitina, the goddess of funerals; Laverna, the goddess of thieves; Comus, the god of banquets; the Camenae, four prophetic nymphs held in high veneration by the ancient Italians; the Genii, protecting spirts that accompanied humans through life, from the hour of birth todeath; the Manes -- Lemures (or Larvae) and Lares -- spirits of the departed, who haunted their former abodes on earth as evil or pleasant spirits respectively; the Penates, deities selected by each family as a special protector according to circumstances; and, lastly, the goddess Vesta who occupies a distinguished place among early Romans as the hearthstone of the nation and upon whose altar burned a never-ceasing fire, tended by the six Vestal Virgins.
One god imported from Greece that never took firm root in its new home was called Vulcan by the Romans, the god of fire, probably because Vesta already served that purpose. He did, however,take on a small role as god of metal-working.
The original Celtic mythology differed from the Greek in that their gods were more barbarous and their mythology lacked the imagination and the poetry so characteristic of the Greek. Saturn, the original Celtic Roman god of agriculture was readily identified with the old Greek god, Cronus. A temple was erected in honor of Saturn at the foot of the Capitoline Hill and befitting his status this temple housed the public treasury and the laws of the state.
Ops, the original Roman goddess of plenty, and wife of Saturn, was also readily identified with the old Greek goddess, Rhea, wife of Cronus and mother of Zeus who, like the Roman Jupiter, was supreme god of heaven but, unlike Jupiter,was controlled by the Fates and made appearances on earth. A temple in honor of Jupiter was also erected on the Capitoline Hill in the city of Rome, and the Romans represented him holding in his right hand a sheaf of thunderbolts and an eagle standing beside him.
Juno, the original Roman goddess of married women was similar to the Greek goddess Hera, but whereas Hera was the unbending queen of heaven, Juno was seen as a kindly, matronly housewife. Juno had three temples dedicatedto her in Rome, and on the 1st of March a festival -- the Matronalia -- was solemnly celebrated in her honor by all the married women of Rome.
Minerva, the original Roman goddess of feminine accomplishments, was easily identified with the Pallas-Athene of the Greeks. Minerva, Jupiter and Juno were the only three divinities worshipped in the Capitol, and the Ludi Maximi -- great games --were held in their joint honor.
The Roman goddess Ceres is actually the same as the Greek Demeter, the goddess of agriculture, for which the Cerealia festival was held on the 12th of April, lasting several days.
The Roman goddess of love and purity, Venus, was like the Greek Aphrodite but her worship was only established in Rome in later times. The month of April was sacred for Venus, with festivals, called Veneralia, held in her honor.
Unusually, the worship of Apollo never achieved the importance in Rome as it did in Greece. Apollo was also a later addition to the pantheon of Roman gods.The first temple in honor of Apollo was erected by the Romans about 430 BC to avert a plague, but he did not achieve prominence until the time of Augustus. The most renowned of all the existing statues of Apollo is the Apollo Belvedere found in 1503 among the ruins of ancient Antium and purchased by Pope Julius II who moved it to the Vatican.
The Roman goddess Diana was identified with the Greek Artemis, but in effect she was more like the Greek Hecate exercising witchcraft and evil charms. The first temple dedicated to Diana was erected on the Aventine hill by Servius Tullius who introduced her worship into Rome.
Victoria, the Roman goddess of victory, was similar to the Greek Nike and was highly honored by the Romans for whom love of conquest was a passion. It was a custom among victorious Roman generals to erect a new statue of Victoria to commemorate their victories.
Mercury, the Roman god of commerce and gain did not gain the identity of the Greek Hermes until much later. The first temple in honor of Mercury was erected near the Circus Maximus as early as 495 BC,and on the festival of Mercury, 25th of May, merchants sprinkled themselves and their merchandise with Mercury's holy water in order to ensure successful business deals.
The Greek god Poseidon was worshipped as Neptune in Rome, and no naval expedition from Rome took place without a sacrifice to this great god of the sea -- in much the same way that no battle took place without a sacrifice to the great god of war, Mars.
The Greek god Ares was worshipped in Rome as Mars. Initially, the Italian tribes worshipped Mars as the god of spring and agriculture but with the establishment of the Roman city state and activities of war, Mars became the god of war, second in importance to Jupiter.
First instituted by Numa Pompilius, Mars was assigned twelve priests called Salii, or the dancers, from the sacred dances, in full armour, which characterised his worship.The priests were always chosen from the noblest families in Rome and in their care was entrusted the sacred shields (copies of a shield sent from heaven when Numa was imploring Jupiter's protection for the newly-founded city of Rome).
A purely Roman goddess, intimately associated with Mars as god of war, was Bellona. Probably of Sabine origin, Bellona accompanies Mars in battle, guiding his chariot, and dressed in full armor with dishevelled hair she bears a scourge in one hand, and a lance in the other, and inspires him with mad rage and cruelty.
Liber was an ancient Roman god who presided over vegetation and quickly was identified with the Greek Dionysus, god of wine, and was worshipped under the name of Bacchus. The Liberalia was celebrated on the 17th of March.
Originally, the Romans had no god of the lower world like the Greek Hades. They did believe, however, that at the center of the earch was a cave called Orcus which was the final resting place for the dead. When the Greek colonized Italy brining with them their religion and literature, the Roman Orcus became the Greek Hades, and the god of the undeworld was named Pluto. There were no temples in Rome erected to this divinity.
Roman gods without Greek counterparts continued to be worshipped, most important of which was Janus who, from the earliest time, was regarded by the Romans with great veneration as a divinity who presided over the beginnings of all things and ranked only second to Jupiter.
Hence, January, the beginning of a new year. Janus appears to have been the ancient sun-god of the Italiantribes, and shrines were erected to him over the doors of houses. He was shownas having two faces in relation to a gift from Saturn (Cronus) that allowed himto see both past and future.
Like the ancient Greek gods, it is likely to Janus was the most ancient king of Italy, whose exemplary life was rewarded in death with deification.
Other Roman gods without Greek counterparts that continued to be worshipped include Flora, the goddess of flowers; Robigus, a mischievious worker of evil; Pomona, the goddess of orchards and fruit-trees; Vertumnus, the god of garden and field produce; Pales -- in male form the god of shepherds and flocks andin female form the goddess of husbandry; Picus, Silvanus and Faunus the woodland divinities; Picumnus and Pilumnus the gods of new-born infants; Terminus, the god of boundaries and landmarks; Consus, the god of secret counsel; Libitina, the goddess of funerals; Laverna, the goddess of thieves; Comus, the god of banquets; the Camenae, four prophetic nymphs held in high veneration by the ancient Italians; the Genii, protecting spirts that accompanied humans through life, from the hour of birth todeath; the Manes -- Lemures (or Larvae) and Lares -- spirits of the departed, who haunted their former abodes on earth as evil or pleasant spirits respectively; the Penates, deities selected by each family as a special protector according to circumstances; and, lastly, the goddess Vesta who occupies a distinguished place among early Romans as the hearthstone of the nation and upon whose altar burned a never-ceasing fire, tended by the six Vestal Virgins.
One god imported from Greece that never took firm root in its new home was called Vulcan by the Romans, the god of fire, probably because Vesta already served that purpose. He did, however,take on a small role as god of metal-working.
Labels: bellona, ceres, diana, janus, juno, juper, liber, mars, mercury, minerva, neptune, orcus, roman gods, salii, venus, vesta, victoria, vulcan
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