Roman Gods
No Description
MORE DECKS TO EXPLORE
PRESENTATION OUTLINE
ANCIENT ROMAN GODS
Jupiter was the king of all gods. He was the god of all the sky and light. He was the most well known of all the gods and the lightning bolt was his symbol.
Juno was the queen of the gods. She also happened to be Jupiter's wife and sister. Juno was the god of women and marriage and her symbol was a peacock.
Mercury was the god's messenger. He was also the god of thieves, travellers, science and businesses. Mercury was said to have owned a pair of sandals with wings and/or a dinged cap to help him with his travels. He also carried a staff.
Venus was the god of beauty. She was known as the mother of all roman people and was well liked by all romans. Even Julius Caesar claimed to be on of her ancestors.
Mars was the god of war. He was the protector of the roman city and lifestyle. He was also the defender of the city fronts and borders so when there were any important festivals connected with warfare, they were held in Mars' honour.
Neptune was the god of the sea and earthquakes. He was the brother to Jupiter and Pluto but was not alike to the Greek god Poseidon, the Roman concept of Neptune was not dissimilar the Etruscan god Nethuns.
Pluto was the god of the underworld and the dead. He was adapted from the Greek god Hades who was also the god of the dead. It was believed that Rome had not had a god of the underworld until the romans conquered Greece. The name Pluto comes from Pluton, an alternative Greek name for Hades who was the Greek version of Pluto.
Minerva was the goddess of wisdom. She was one of the most important goddesses in Ancient Rome she also closely resembled the Greek goddess Athena. She was the favorite child of Jupiter, and she was said to have been born fully grown in armour. Her symbol, the owl has traditionally been considered wise because it was her sign.
Diana was the goddess of the hunt, nature, the moon and fertility. She was also the twin of Apollo, who is the opposite of her being the sun god. She was drawn by artists as holding a bow and a quiver of arrows as she was a fierce hunter and was often accompanied by a pack of hunting dogs.
Apollo was the god of the sun and music. He was also Diana's twin as well. Apollo was well loved and liked among the gods, he was also physically beautiful and was admired by many artists who painted him and created many sculptures of him.
Vulcan was the god of volcanoes, blacksmiths, forges and fire. Vulcan was the blacksmith of the gods. He produced armor, weapons, and many other works. All were perfectly made, and some had magical qualities. The English word volcano comes from the Italian form of Vulcan's name.
The romans and the Greeks had exactly the same gods except called them different names for example. The king of the Greek gods, Zeus was exactly the same as the roman god Jupiter. The same is with Hera the Greek queen of the gods, she is also the same as Juno the roman queen of the gods.
Why are they the same?
Well the romans took ideas from other territories that they conquered over time, this is what happened with the Greeks. The romans copied their beliefs, and gods but decided to change their names! Other things the Romans copied from the Greeks were their Architecture and some of their technology.
Photo by kevin dooley
