ROMAN GODSROMAN GODS

ROMAN RELIGIONROMAN RELIGION

• Roman religion is based on the Roman religion is based on the Pantheon – 12 Gods and Goddesses Pantheon – 12 Gods and Goddesses that, together, rule the earth and that, together, rule the earth and everything associated with it.everything associated with it.

• These gods are: JThese gods are: Jupiter, upiter, JJuno, uno, Minerva, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Minerva, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, MercurMars, Mercuryy, Neptun, Neptunee, Volcan, and , Volcan, and Apollo. Apollo.

JUPITERJUPITER

• Jupiter means Father Jupiter means Father Jove (Father in Latin is Jove (Father in Latin is "pater"). "pater").

• Jupiter was king of the Jupiter was king of the Gods. His weapon was Gods. His weapon was the Thunderbolt the Thunderbolt

• All other gods were All other gods were terrified of him, terrified of him, although he was a although he was a little scared of his wife little scared of his wife JunoJuno

• Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto were the Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto were the three sons of Saturn. They divided up three sons of Saturn. They divided up the world between themselves. the world between themselves. Jupiter took the air, Neptune had the Jupiter took the air, Neptune had the sea and Pluto ruled under the earth, sea and Pluto ruled under the earth, the home of the Dead. the home of the Dead.

JUNOJUNO

• Juno was the wife of Jupiter Juno was the wife of Jupiter and so queen of the gods. and so queen of the gods. She was the goddess of She was the goddess of women and marriage.women and marriage.

• The Romans believed that The Romans believed that every man had a spirit that every man had a spirit that looked after him all his life. looked after him all his life. This was called his This was called his geniusgenius. . Some people believed Some people believed each man had both a good each man had both a good genius and a bad genius. genius and a bad genius. Women didn't have a Women didn't have a geniusgenius, they had a , they had a junojuno instead. instead.

MINERVAMINERVA

• Minerva was the Minerva was the goddess of wisdom. goddess of wisdom. Her symbol was the Her symbol was the owl.owl.

• Minerva was the Minerva was the goddess of arts and goddess of arts and crafts. She was crafts. She was particularly good at particularly good at weaving.weaving.

NEPTUNENEPTUNE

• Neptune was the god Neptune was the god of the sea. He carried of the sea. He carried a trident, which had a trident, which had three prongs. He three prongs. He rode a dolphin or a rode a dolphin or a horse.horse.

• Neptune was also the Neptune was also the god of earthquakes. god of earthquakes. He was called the He was called the Earth-shaker! Earth-shaker!

PLUTOPLUTO

• Pluto was the god Pluto was the god of the Dead. of the Dead.

• When someone When someone died, they travelled died, they travelled down to the down to the Underworld Underworld

APOLLOAPOLLO

• Apollo was the god of Apollo was the god of the sun. Each day he the sun. Each day he drove his chariot of drove his chariot of fiery horses across fiery horses across the sky to give light the sky to give light to the world. to the world.

• He was also the god He was also the god of healing, so sick of healing, so sick people prayed to him.people prayed to him.

• He is a son of JupiterHe is a son of Jupiter

DIANADIANA

• Diana was the Diana was the goddess of the goddess of the moon. Her twin moon. Her twin brother Apollo was brother Apollo was the god of the sun. the god of the sun.

• Diana carried a Diana carried a bow and arrows. bow and arrows. She was the She was the goddess of hunting goddess of hunting

MARSMARS

• The Romans were The Romans were great soldiers and great soldiers and thought Mars, the thought Mars, the god of War, was very god of War, was very important. important.

• They said that he They said that he was the father of was the father of Romulus and Remus, Romulus and Remus, the founders of the founders of Rome.Rome.

• He is a son of JupiterHe is a son of Jupiter

VENUSVENUS

• She is the goddess She is the goddess of loveof love

• Venus was born in Venus was born in the sea and first the sea and first came to shore at came to shore at Cyprus, floating on Cyprus, floating on a scallop shell. a scallop shell.

• She is the mother She is the mother of Cupid.of Cupid.

MERCURYMERCURY

• He was the He was the messenger of the messenger of the GodsGods

• Mercury was the Mercury was the god of travellers. He god of travellers. He had a winged hat had a winged hat and sandals, so he and sandals, so he could fly. He carried could fly. He carried a staff with two a staff with two snakes winding snakes winding round it. round it.

CERESCERES

• Ceres was the Ceres was the Earth goddess and Earth goddess and goddess of corn. goddess of corn.

• Her daughter was Her daughter was Proserpine.Proserpine.

VOLCANVOLCAN

• Vulcan was the Vulcan was the smith of the gods, smith of the gods, and made Jupiter's and made Jupiter's thunderbolts. His thunderbolts. His smithy was in the smithy was in the volcano Etna, in volcano Etna, in Sicily, where you Sicily, where you can see fire from can see fire from his forge. his forge.

BACCHUSBACCHUS

• Bacchus was the god Bacchus was the god of wine. He was of wine. He was accompanied by accompanied by Maenads, or wild Maenads, or wild dancing women. dancing women.

• Bacchus was also the Bacchus was also the god of the theatre, god of the theatre, since the first plays in since the first plays in Greece were Greece were performed in his performed in his honour honour

SATURNSATURN

• Saturn was god of Saturn was god of Time and his weapon Time and his weapon was a scythe. He ruled was a scythe. He ruled the gods before the gods before Jupiter. He is called Old Jupiter. He is called Old Father Time. Father Time.

• Jupiter, Neptune and Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto were his children. Pluto were his children. They represent Air, They represent Air, Water and Death, the Water and Death, the three things that Time three things that Time cannot kill. cannot kill.

THE DII FAMILIARISTHE DII FAMILIARIS

• There was also a private religious worship There was also a private religious worship in Rome. in Rome. In this cult, the Lar Familiaris In this cult, the Lar Familiaris (guardian spirit - Genius - of the family), the (guardian spirit - Genius - of the family), the Lares Loci (guardian spirits of the place Lares Loci (guardian spirits of the place where the house is built), the Genius of the where the house is built), the Genius of the paterfamilias (House-Father), the Dii paterfamilias (House-Father), the Dii Penates (patron gods of the storeroom), the Penates (patron gods of the storeroom), the Dii Manes (spirits of the deceased) and a Dii Manes (spirits of the deceased) and a multitude of other domestic deities are multitude of other domestic deities are daily worshipped by the members of the daily worshipped by the members of the familyfamily..