Roman Mythology History of Roman Mythology Biography of Gods and Goddesses

2. The ancient Romans had a
rich mythology and, while much of it
was derived from their neighbors
and predecessors, the Greeks, it still
defined the rich history of
the Roman people as they eventually
grew into an empire.

3. Roman writers such as Ovid and
Virgil documented and
extended the mythological
heritage of the
ancient Mediterrenean to gives
us such long-lasting and iconic
figures as Aeneas, Vesta, Janus,
and the twin founders
of Rome itself, Romulus and
Remus.

4. Roman mythology, like that of
the Greeks, contained a number
of gods and goddesses, and
because of the early influence of
Greece on the Italian peninsula
and the ever-present contact
with Greek Culture, the Romans
adopted not only their stories
but also many of their gods,
renaming a number of them.

5. One exception to this practice is
the god Apollo, the only god
whose name is common to both
cultures.
Apollo was a Roman deity of
Greek origin who inspired
prophecy, medicine, music,
poetry, and the civilized arts.

6. Originally, before their
association with the Greeks,
many of the Roman gods were
more closely associated with
cults rather than myths. Much
of this change came, however,
when the Romans turned from
farming to war.

7. Jupiter (Latin: Iuppiter),
is the god of the sky and
thunder and king of the
gods in ancient Roman
religion and mythology.
Juno, was an ancient Roman
goddess, the protector and special
counsellor of the state. She was
equated to Hera, queen of the gods in
Greek mythology. A daughter of
Saturn, she was the wife of Jupiter
and the mother of Mars, and Vulcan.
Minerva, is the Roman
goddess of wisdom and
strategic warfare, justice,
law, victory, and the
sponsor of arts, trade, and
strategy.
THE CAPITOLINE TRIAD OF EARLY ROMAN CULT DIETIES

9. ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
FAMILY TREE
http://www.veritablehokum.com/comic/the-roman-god-
family-tree/

10. SATURN
God of Time
GREEK NAME: Cronus
Rules over: the Golden Age after his usurpation as king
of the gods is a uniquely Roman extrapolation upon the
Greek myth.
Symbols: Sickle, scythe
Parents: Uranus and Gaia
Consort: Opis
Children: Jupiter, Pluto, Neptune, Juno, Ceres and Vesta
Festival: Saturnalia held in December
The temple to Saturn was built on the Capitoline Hill in
Rome.

11. MINERVA
Goddess of Wisdom
GREEK NAME: Athena
Role : the goddess of handicrafts, the professions, the
arts, and, later, war
Symbols: Owl of Minerva, olive tree, serpent of Jupiter,
the Parthenon, the spear, the spindle, and Hellebore
Parents: Jupiter and Metis
Minerva is part of the holy Capitoline triad, the three
supreme leaders of the Roman pantheon, along with
Jupiter and Juno.

12. JUPITER
King of the gods
GREEK NAME: Zeus
Role: is the god of the sky and thunder and king of the
gods in ancient Roman religion and mythology. Jupiter
was the chief deity of Roman state religion throughout
the Republican and Imperial eras,
until Christianity became the dominant religion of the
Empire.
Symbols: Lightning bolt, eagle, oak tree
Parents: Saturn and Ops
Consort: Juno, Maia, Semele, Latona and Ceres
Siblings: Pluto, Neptune, Juno, Ceres and Vesta
Children: Mars, Minerva, Vulcan, Mercury, Apollo,
Diana, Bacchus and Proserpina

13. JUNO
Queen of the gods
GREEK NAME: Hera
Role: The Roman goddess of marriage, home, and
family, Juno was a champion of women and protector of
the Roman state.
Symbols: are crown, cypress, pomegranate, lily and
lotus. While peacock, lion and cuckoos serves as her
sacred animals
Parents: Saturn and Ops
Consort: Jupiter
Siblings: Pluto, Neptune, Juno, Ceres and Vesta
Children: Mars and Vulcan
Juno was one of the three original gods of Rome and a
great temple was built in their honor at the Capitoline,
which is one of the seven hills of Rome associated with
eternity.

14. VENUS
Goddess of Love
GREEK NAME: Aphrodite
Role: encompassed love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility,
prosperity, and victory.
Symbols: rose, common myrtle
Parents: Uranus
Consort: Mars and Vulcan
Children: Cupid , Pavor, Formido, and Himerus
Venus was very important to new brides. They made
offerings to her before they got married. Some people
also say that they gave their childhood toys to her when
they left home to get married.
Festival: Veneralia

15. PLUTO
God of Death
GREEK NAME: Hades
Rules over: the underworld in classical mythology.
Symbols: the barn owl, serpents and the cypress tree.
Parents: Saturn
Consort: Proserpina
Siblings: Jupiter, Vesta, Ceres, Juno and Neptune
Pluto is the god of the underworld in Roman mythology.
Pluto was also the god of wealth because diamonds and
other jewels come from underground. A myth about
Pluto is that he took Proserpina, who was the daughter
of Ceres, to the underworld to be his wife.

16. NEPTUNE
God of Sea
GREEK NAME: Poseidon
Role: the Roman god of waters and seas. He was also
the controller of winds, storms, and horses. Neptune
was the Roman god of waters and seas, who controlled
winds and storms.
Symbols: Horse, trident, dolphin
Parents: Saturn and Opis
Consort: Vesta
Siblings: Pluto, Jupiter, Juno, Ceres and Vesta
Children: Benthesikyme, Rhodes, Triton, and Proteus.
The Romans believed that Neptune helped give the early
Latin tribes the culture and civilization to create Rome,
and he was very respected.

17. DIANA
Goddess of the Hunt
GREEK NAME: Artemis
Rules over: the woods, children and childbirth, fertility,
chastity, the moon, and wild animals. Her worshippers
believed she had the power to talk to woodland animals
and even control their movements and behavior.
Symbols: Bow and quiver, deer, hunting dogs, crescent
moon
Parents: Jupiter and Latona
Siblings: Apollo
Festival: Nemoralia
Diana was born fully grown and was said to have been
tall, beautiful, and youthful in appearance, often
presenting herself as a young woman between the ages
of 12 and 19.

18. MARS
God of War
GREEK NAME: Ares
Role: His role was second only to Jupiter, the leader of
the pantheon.
Symbols: The spear of Mars (Spear and shield
iconography)
Parents: Jupiter and Juno
Consort: Venus, and Rhea Silvia
Siblings: Vulcan
Children: Romulus and Remus.
Mars was known as the Roman god of war. He was said
to love the violence and conflict. His persona
represented military power and the noise and blood of
battle. Since he was the father of Romulus and Remus it
was believed he would come to the aid of Rome during
times of conflict or war.

19. MERCURY
Messenger of the Gods
GREEK NAME: Hermes
Role: financial gain, commerce, eloquence, messages,
communication (including divination), travelers,
boundaries, luck, trickery, and thieves; he also serves as
the guide of souls to the underworld.
Symbols: Caduceus, winged sandals, winged hat,
tortoise, ram and rooster
Parents: Jupiter and Maia
Consort: Penelope
Children: Faunus
He was the most clever of the Olympian gods, and
served as messenger for all the other gods.

20. SUMMARY
The Romans generally borrowed their gods from the ancient
Greeks, and almost every Roman god had a Greek counterpart.
Romans used mythology to describe social values. Many stories
that are a part of Roman mythology aim to explain cultural and
social virtues. These stories revolve around a central character
that served his state or nation and performed feats of bravery or
intellect.
-END

21. References:
• https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/greek-vs-roman-gods/
• https://mythopedia.com/topics/jupiter
• https://www.historyforkids.net/roman-mythology.html
• https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Mythology/?fbclid=Iw
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MI2SET21YbK8fgnlm2GEP8DzpE