Mars, god of war, and a Vestal Virgin named Rhea Silvia were the parents of twin boys, Romulus and Remus. Janus’ son was Tiberinus, the god of the river Tiber, which runs through the city of Rome.Īccording to Roman mythology, the gods had a hand in the founding of the city of Rome itself. Believed to preside over beginnings, it is fitting that the month of January is named after Janus. For example, Janus was a god with two faces that represented the spirit of passages such as doorways and gates. Rome did have some of its own gods and goddesses who did not trace their origins back to Greek culture. You may by now have noticed that many of the planets in our solar system were named after Roman deities. Just as the Greeks influenced Roman culture, the Romans inspired the cultural development of later societies. Other Roman gods and goddesses who were adapted from Greek culture include Venus, who drew on Aphrodite, goddess of love Neptune, a sea god who was inspired by the Greek god Poseidon Pluto, who ruled the Roman underworld as the god Hades did in Greek culture Diana, Roman goddess of the hunt who had her Greek equivalent in Artemis and Mars, god of war, who was fashioned after the Greek god Ares. Minerva is thought to be the equivalent of the goddess Athena, who was the Greek goddess of wisdom. She watched over schoolchildren and craftspeople such as carpenters and stonemasons.
Minerva was the goddess of wisdom and craft. She resembled the Greek goddess Hera in that she kept a particularly watchful eye over women and all aspects of their lives. Military commanders would pay homage to Jupiter at his temple after winning in battle. Jupiter also concentrated on protecting the Roman state. Jupiter was a sky-god who Romans believed oversaw all aspects of life he is thought to have originated from the Greek god Zeus. The main god and goddesses in Roman culture were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. However, these deities were renamed and effectively re-branded for a Roman context, possessing names that are different from their Greek counterparts. For example, many of the gods and goddesses of Greek and Roman culture share similar characteristics. Romans adopted many aspects of Greek culture, adapting them slightly to suit their own needs. As the Roman Republic was rising to prominence, it acquired these Greek territories, bringing them under the administration of the Roman state. Due to Rome’s geographic position, its citizens experienced frequent contact with the Greek peoples, who had expanded their territories into the Italian peninsula and Sicily. The gods and goddesses of Greek culture significantly influenced the development of Roman deities and mythology. While the Roman state recognized main gods and goddesses by decorating public buildings and fountains with their images, families worshipping at home also put special emphasis on the deities of their choosing.
Romans paid allegiance to the gods both in public spaces and in private homes. They believed that these deities served a role in founding the Roman civilization and that they helped shape the events of people’s lives on a daily basis. Despite the presence of monotheistic religions within the empire, such as Judaism and early Christianity, Romans honored multiple deities. The Roman Empire was a primarily polytheistic civilization, which meant that people recognized and worshiped multiple gods and goddesses.
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