PR-2237IRE Ancient Rome

Roman Gods and Goddesses
Jupiter
He was the most powerful god, protector of Rome and ruler of the universe. Jupiter was a sky god of
thunder and lightning whose symbols were the eagle and the thunderbolt. Ancient astronomers
named a planet after Jupiter, who was the son of Saturn. His temple was the religious centre of Rome
and his temples were built in every Roman town. When the consuls were appointed in January each year, bulls
were sacrificed to thank Jupiter for his protection the previous year.
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Mars
Mars was the god of war and Romans prayed to him for successes over their enemies. He was specially important
as he was thought to be the father of Romulus and Remus. Originally the god of farmland, March is named
after him as it was the start of the Roman growing season. The planet Mars was named after him because of its
angry red colour. When war broke out a Roman consul had to shake the god’s sacred spears and cry ‘Mars vigila’
– ‘Mars, wake up!’.
Neptune
God of the sea and son of Saturn. Neptune’s son, Triton, was said to be half man and half fish. Statues show him
with a trident, a three-pronged spear, which he used to raise or quieten storms at sea. Sailors prayed to him for
a safe journey and the world famous Trevi Fountain in Rome includes a statue of Neptune, who also had a
planet named after him.
Minerva
As the daughter of Jupiter she was an important goddess. She was the goddess of arts and crafts and education
and her temple was a popular meeting place for artists, actors and poets. Her main festival was in March and
later she became the goddess of wisdom and war.
Mercury
Jupiter’s messenger and god of roads and travel. He wore winged sandals and was also the god of trade. His name
has given us the words ‘merchant’ and ‘commerce’. He was the son of Jupiter and snakes wound around his staff
protected him on his travels. His first temple was built in 495 BC and his name has also been given to a planet.
Ceres
An Earth goddess of agriculture, especially fruit and grain—‘cereal’ comes from her name. She was worshipped
by farmers and the common people of Rome. Her temple built in 493 BC was damaged by fire in 31 BC but
rebuilt by the emperor Augustus Caesar.
Janus
The two-headed god, with one face looking to the future and the other looking at the historical past. This god
guarded the doors and archways and gave us the name of our first month as he was seen as the protector of the
start of life. His festival day was 9 January and his worship dates back to Rome’s early years. In 235 BC the doors
of the temple of Janus were closed to show Rome was at peace with all nations for the first time.
Bacchus
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The festivals for Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, were drinking feasts which were originally held in secret and
attended by women only. Their reputation for drunkenness and riots resulted in the senate passing a decree to
ban them except for special occasions. The Romans began to worship Bacchus after coming into contact with
Greek customs around 700 BC.
– 30 – Ancient Rome Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com