12 Roman Gods and Goddesses

12 Roman Gods and Goddesses
1. Jupiter
- King of the gods and sky
- Equivalent of the Greek God, Zeus.
- Jupiter was the brother of Neptune and Pluto.
- He was the king of the gods, also known as the sky god, or the great protector.
- He controlled the weather and the forces of nature, and he was known to send
thunderbolts to warn the citizens of Rome.
2. Juno
- Queen of the Roman gods
- Based on Greek goddess, Hera.
- Wife of Jupiter
- It is said that she was the Queen of the Heavens, as well as childbirth and fertility.
- The month of June is named after Juno.
3. Neptune
- God of the seas
- Equivalent to Poseidon
- He was the deity of the sea, although later he was associated with rivers as well.
- In art, he is often shown with a trident and a dolphin.
4. Minerva
- Goddess of wisdom and war
- Roman name for Athena
- she was also the goddess of commerce, industry, and education.
- Legend has it that she sprung from Jupiter's head.
5. Mars
- God of war and second in command to Jupiter
- Roman version of Ares
- Mars was considered to be the father of Romulus and Remus, the mythical twin
creators of Rome.
6. Venus
- Goddess of love and beauty
- Based on the Greek goddess, Aphrodite.
- According to legend, Venus was born out of the foam of the sea. That’s why in
art she is often depicted rising out of the waves in a clam.
7. Apollo
- He kept his Greek name and is known as Phoebus in roman literature.
- Apollo had many jobs and responsibilities, as he was the god of archery, music,
dance, healing and disease, as well as sun and light.
- He was seen as one of the most influential Roman gods, and was the son of
Jupiter/Zeus.
8. Diana
- Goddess of the hunt
- Roman version of Artemis
- She was the goddess of wild animals, the hunt, the moon, chastity and childbirth.
- She was the twin sister of Apollo, and she was very popular with Romans who
lived in rural areas.
9. Vulcan
- Roman version of Hephaestus
- The Roman god of fire, volcanoes, metal work and the forge; maker of the
weapons of the gods.
- In some mythology Vulcan is said to have been banished from the heavens as a
child because of a physical defect. Hidden in the base of a volcano he learnt his
trade
- When Vulcan built Juno, his mother, a trap as revenge for his banishment his
father, Jupiter, offered him Venus as a wife, in exchange for Juno’s freedom.
- It was said that Vulcan had a forge under Mount Etna, and that whenever his wife
was unfaithful, the volcano became volatile.
- Because of his position as deity of destructive fire, Vulcan’s temples were
regularly located outside cities.
10. Vesta
- Roman version of Hestia
- goddess of hearth, home and domestic life.
- Vesta was a daughter of Saturn and Ops and sister to Jupiter, Juno, Neptune and
Pluto.
- She was enshrined in the sacred and perpetually burning fire of the Vestal Virgins
(all female and Rome’s only full-time priesthood).
11.Mercury
- Messenger of the Gods
- Roman version of Hermes
- the god of translation, interpretation and messenger of the gods.
- He was considered the cleverest out of all the Olympian gods, and he was a
messenger for them.
- He also ruled over wealth, good fortune and commerce.
12. Ceres
- Goddess of agriculture
- Roman equivalent of Demeter.
- In both Greece and Rome, she was the goddess of grain and agriculture, so she
was extremely important to farmers, and was credited with teaching humans how
to grow, preserve, and prepare grain and corn, as she was thought to be
responsible for the fertility of the land.
- Unlike a lot of the gods, Ceres was believed to take an active role in day-to-day
life.
- She was also heavily associated with motherhood and motherly love, due to her
close relationship with her daughter Proserpine (or Persephone); the wife of
Hades.
- The Romans believed that the seasons were caused because Ceres went into
mourning for half the year when Proserpine was in the underworld with her
husband during the winter months, and would celebrate her return by making the
earth fertile during the summer.

12 Roman Gods and Goddesses

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

12 Roman Gods and Goddesses

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

12 Roman Gods and Goddesses

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

12 Roman Gods and Goddesses

You might also like