Deities of the Religio Romana
By
M. Horatius Piscinus
Introduction
Even before the founding of Rome, the Latins were
influenced by different cultures from within Italy and from
Greece and Phoenicia.
During the historical period we learn of the Romans adopting deities
from other cultures,
such as the Phrygian Magna
Mater, Kybele, and Venus Erycina who is the Phoenician Astarte. While some
foreign deities were accepted into the Roman pantheon,
celebrated in the official festivals of the religio romana,
others were found at Rome alongside but not included in the
pantheon. Offered below is an
incomplete list of
the deities of the Roman pantheon and of other Italic
cultures. Some have been listed as numina
(sing: numen).
A numen is only a divine power or presence, not a god itself,
infused into a location or object, or in an activity.
The earliest Roman texts always name numina with reference to the gods who wield them, and never are
they
treated as anything separate from the gods themselves. Those that have been listed here as numina are those
powers for whom we do not know the associated deity. When an associated deity employs a numen, the aspect
of the god or goddess is sometimes referred to by the name
for the numen. Such a divine
aspect, closely
associated with a particular numen is called an indigimentum (pl: indigimenta) of that particular god or goddess. Some of the Italic
deities, who entered Rome very early, were assimilated to the Roman deities by
using Their names as
indigimenta
of other deities. Later, as Italians began to compose more of
the populace of the city, their gods
and goddesses were accepted into the Roman pantheon in
Their own right. They retained Their
own identity, so
that some deities were known in Rome under different
names. Such is the case in the
relationship between
Venus and Libitina; the latter appears both as an indigimentum of Venus and as a goddess in Her own right,
and both are names for the same goddess who other Italians
introduced as Flora. She was already
known in
Rome in an earlier period as Murcia. Later She became
closely identified with Greek Aphrodite in the historical
Venus, so that Murcia was all but forgotten but Her distinctly Italic aspects
remained in Flora and Libitina.
There were then at Rome several layers of identity for the
various deities of the religio romana, as there were
several layers to Roman society.
Acca Larentia:
Italic Goddess of cornfields. According
to a late legend dating to the Augustan era, she was the
wife
of Faustulus who together raised Romulus and Remus. She was said to have had twelve sons, with whom
she
made sacrifices once a year for the fertility of the fields. When one of her sons died, Romulus took his
place
and
instituted the collegium Fratres Arvales.
She is therefore identified with the Dea Dia of that collegium.
On
23 Dec. a parentatio was performed for her by the flamen Quirinalis. The flamen Quirinalis acted in the
role
of Romulus (deified as Quirinus)
performs funerary rites for his foster mother.
Larentia, or Larentina,
is
also identified with Larunda, Mana Genita, and Muta.
Adeona:
Italic Goddess of journeys, She is a protrectress of travelers. In Rome She became an indigimentum of
Juno that guided
children in their first steps.
Adonis, Etruscan Atunis: Mortal lover of Venus and Proserpina in later myth.
Like Proserpina he spent part
of
the
year in the Underworld with Her, and the other part of the year with Venus.
Aeclanuii:
Oscan Vertumnus,
the God of internal warmth, and ripener of fruits.
Aesai: The Oscan “Holy
Ones,” like the Etruscan Aiseras, or “The Shrouded Gods,” a general name for
the Gods,
or
the Hidden Sanctuary.
Aesculapius:
God of healing adopted from the Greeks, His festival held on 1 Jan. to
commemorate His temple
being
built on an isle in the Tiber, 293 BCE
Agenoria or Angerona:
Goddess of silence and industry, giving relief from pain and anxiety. Her festival was
held
at sunset on the Winter solstice. She
is depicted with Her hand cupping Her chin, a crooked index finger
raised
in front of Her lips.
Aita:
Etruscan God of the Underworld, in Rome called Pluto.
Aius Locutus: A divine voice that shouted a warning to the
Romans at the approach of the Gauls in 390 BCE.
Albunea:
The White Sybil, associated with the sulphurous River Albula, Her sacred spring
was at Tibur.
Alernus: An unknown deity, mentioned by Ovid (Fasti VI. 105-106) who had a sacred
grove at Rome near the
Tiber
River.
Alpan: Etruscan Goddess of love and of the
Underworld, associated with a Lasa.
Angitia or Anguitina:
Oscan Goddess of healing, especially from poison. A sister of Circe, Her sacred grove was
at
Lake Fuscinus where both sacred snakes and healing herbs were found, like the Bona Dea at Rome.
A
Procession of the Serpents is still held in Her honor on 1 May in Lanciano,
Abruzzia.
Anna Perenna:
Italian Goddess of the moon, long life, and rejuvenation. She is associated with the New Year.
At
the first full moon of March (originally the Ides, 15 March, when the calendar
was fixed to the lunar cycle) a
feast
was held in her honor in a grove of fruits trees at the first mile of the Via
Flaminia. The Romans wished
each
other as many years of life as they could drink cups of wine at Her feast.
Anterus:
Numen of mutual love.
Apollo Etruscan Apula: Among the Italians and Gauls, Apollo was mostly known as a god of
healing, music,
poetry,
prophecy and hunting. He was 217 BCE
made one of the Di consentes under
Greek influence, when He
also
became identified as a solar deity. His
main festival was held at the Ludi
Apollini, 6-13 July, and on 23
September
together with Diana.
Atargatis: Known as the Dea Syria, consort of Hadad,
or Derketo at Ascalon, Her worship
was centered in the
East,
Roman citizens composing most of Her worshipers at Delos, where a statue of Her
was consecrated for the wellbeing of Rome in 118/117 BCE. At Eryx in Sicily She was identified with
Punic Astarte, who among the
Etruscans
was called Astres, identified with Ishtar/Inanna. At Rome She was assimilated as the Celestial
Venus
of
the Aeneid legend. Her temple at Eryx,
with its sacred prostitutes playing the role of Dido, became popular
with
Roman consuls and generals who assumed the role of Aeneas. At Rome She is Venus Erycina, Her temple
on
the Capitoline dedicated 23 April, after the Roman defeat by Hannibal at Lake
Trasimene, 217 BCE. Lucian’s
Ode
43 is dedicated to Dea Syria. She was the main deity of Arabia, known as Allath, Her main temple known
today
as the Ka’abah.
Aurora: Goddess of the dawn, mother of Lucifer (“The Light Bringer,” an
epitaph of Venus). She married the
mortal
Tithonus and asked that he be given immortality, but forgot to also ask that he
be given eternal youth so
that
he continually grew old. Eventually She
turned him into a grasshopper. Of Her
other lovers, like Cephalus,
all
were mortals.
Bacchus: Oscan Patir
Libero and Pupluna, the Etruscan
Fulfuns, and identified with the
Roman God of the
Vine,
Pater Liber, only after 186 BCE.
Bellona:
Sabine Goddess of war, sister of Mars,
later identified with Nerio as the
wife of Mars. Her festival is
held
on 3 June.
Bibesia: Numen of drink.
Bona Dea:
A title (Good Goddess) associated with Fauna,
Ops, Maia, and other earth goddesses.
She is a
goddess
of chastity, fruitfulness, and the earth's bounty, especially with healing
herbs. Her festivals are on 1 May,
3-4
May; and 3 Dec. In Her Aventine temple
was kept a supply of healing herbs guarded by snakes.
Bubona:
Numen of cattle breeding.
Caca: Supposed numen of excrement, her name is
derived as a female form of Cacus, and there is considerable doubt that any
such numen was recognized at Rome.
Cacus, Oscan Cacuui: Fire spitting giant, who stole cattle from Hercules, he
was associated with Orion.
Caia
Caecilia: The deified mortal princess, Tanaquil, She
is a Goddess of Healing.
Canens: The wife of Picus, mother of Faunus,
She called for Her husband until She wasted away to a disembodied voice. She is the Voice of the Woods.
Cardea: Indigimentum or wife of Janus for hinges, who protects the house from evil spirits. She was given a
twig
of Hawthorn by Her husband Janus as
a wedding gift, and such a twig is struck against the door hinges and
hung
over the door in an annual rite to protect the house.
Carmenta: Italic
goddess of prophecy and childbirth, mother of Evander, She had a flamen Carmentalis at Rome. Associated with Porrima and Postuorta
(past and future). Also a Goddess of
Springs commemorated at the Porta Carmentalis, during Her festival of Carmentalia on 11 and 15 Jan.
Carmenae:
Fourteen nymphs of childbirth, associated with the
Muses, whose festival is held on 13 Aug.
Carnea or Carneis (Oscan): Protective goddess of a healthy body
and especially of the large organs – heart, lungs,
and
liver, whose shrine was on the Caelian.
On 1 June beans and bacon were eaten in Her honor and offered to
Her
in sacrifice.
Castor and Pollux: Popular
twins, their temple dedication of 484 BCE is commemorated on 15 July, their
main
festivals
held on 27 Jan. and 13 Aug. They were
commonly sworn by, like Hercules, in the forms of mecastor,
or
edepol.
Catha
or Cautha: Etruscan solar god, comparable to Greek
Helios.
Celscan:
Etruscan giant, literally "Son of Cel." Associated with the highest
Apennine peak, Monte Corno,
(“the
Horn”), where he is also the consort of Ceres. Men wear a talisman of Celscan for virility in the form of
a
golden horn or red pepper.
Cenetai:
Oscan numen of childbirth, comparable to Greek Eileithyia
Ceres, Oscan Kerri, and Etruscan Cels: Goddess of grain, agriculture and
law giving. With Her daughter Libitania (Proserpina), She is the Goddess of the renewal of the earth and all
regeneration. She is the daughter of Ops,
and
closely identified with or as Tellus. She has been associated with the central
Apennines since the Neolithic
period,
symbolized by the Three Sacred Mountains and the mons venere within. Her main
festivals are the
Ceralia on
12-19 April and on 4 October a fast is held in Her honor.
Cerfu: An Umbrian God found at Iguvium in a triad
with Jupiter and Mars, each associated with Grabovius,
God
of the Oaks, invoked to protect that city from barbarian invaders. He is the Oscan Cerus, consort of Ceres,
protector
of the boundaries of fields and of the plants within, from disease and
intemperate weather.
Cerreri:
The
individual souls of men and women, called Genius for men and Juno for women in
Rome.
Charun:
Etruscan demon, leader of the Charonte demons who torment the dead. He is portrayed as winged,
with
a vulture's beak and pointed ears, carrying a large hammer after the manner of Orcus.
Cinxia: Indigimentum of Juno who loosens the girdle of brides.
Clererca: Italian
goddess of hinges, family life and protection from strigae, She was at Rome
called Cardea.
Clitumnus:
An Umbrian river god of healing and prophecy.
Cloacina: Numen of sewers, She is an indigimentum of Venus, “The Purifier.”
Collatina: Indigimentum of Tellus for hills and downs.
Cominuii: Oscan Manes.
Comus: Numen of night life and nighttime revelry.
Concordia:
Goddess of concord whose festival is 22 July.
Conditor: Indigimentum of Ceres for the storing of grain in barns.
Consiva:
Indigimentum of Ceres for sowing and
reaping.
Consus, Oscan Consui: God of the earth and crops,
and of their storage. At Rome He was
also a god of horses.
The
Consualia falls on 21 Aug after
harvest, the traditional date of the Rape of the Sabine women. His other
festivals
are on 12 and 15 Dec after sowing. His
altar lies below ground and is uncovered three times a year for sacrifices.
Convector: Indigimentum of Ceres for the harvest home.
Culsu:
Etruscan demoness who guards Gates of the Underworld with scissors and a torch.
Cupid:
God of love, son of Venus, and husband of Psyche.
Curis: A Sabine God, the
Oscan Kurrenui, in Rome He was Quirinus. His name derives from the Oscan word for
spear
and He was seen as a god of defensive war, protecting the homeland, and also of
protecting farmlands.
In
this last aspect He protects plants from disease and intemperate weather like Cerus.
Dea Dia:
Title of the goddess of the rite of the Fratres Arvales, She is at times
identified with Acca Larentia as
goddess
of corn and wheat fields, otherwise as Mana
Genita, Mother of the Lares (Larunda). The rites of the
Fratres
Arvales were held in Her honor in late May.
Deiuai: Oscan for “the Goddesses,” dual mothers of a
God of Crops.
Deuerra: One
of three numina who protect newborns from Silvanus. A house ceremony is held by three men
knocking
on the thresholds 1. Intercidona, numina
of hewing timbers knocks with axhead, 2.
Picumnus
knocks with a pestle, 3. Deuerra sweeps with a broom. Ceremony performed while the mother is in
bed with her child.
Diana, Etruscan Artumes: Italic counterpart to Janus,
She is the Moon Goddess, bringer of light.
As
Diana Lucina, like Juno, she is a Goddess of
Childbirth. Diana as a huntress, sister of Apollo,
a
bringer/protector
from disease, is a later Greek form.
She shared a festival with Her brother Apollo on
13
August.
Dii
consentes: In 217 BCE the Senate ordered a special
festival called a lecistratum to be held in honor of the
Dii consentes. Six gods and six goddesses were honored in
the ceremony, in which Their images were set out
on couches upon the Capitoline, to share a
sacred meal with the people of Rome.
The Dii consentes were then
regarded as the celestial deities who headed the Roman pantheon. These particular deities – Juno and Juppiter, Apollo and Diana, Ceres and Neptune, Mars and Venus, Vesta and Volconus - were selected as the
Dii
consentes because of Their close identity with the
Olympian gods of Greek myth.
Dii inferi:
As a counterpoint to the Dii consentes
were the gods and goddesses of the Earth.
While other gods
and
goddesses such as Faunus and Fauna might be included among the Di Inferi those most closely identified
as
such
were Dis and Proserpina, Februus, Hecate, and Nemessis.
Dis Pater:
One of the Dii Inferi, He is the
Roman God of the Underworld, later identified with Pluto or Hades,
and
husband of Proserpina. In Oscan He was Aidoneus (Adonis) or Aides (Hades), married to Aericura
(Proserpina). He is sometimes identified
with the Etruscan Februus.
Diuuei:
Oscan Jove,
literally "the God," He is also called Dioue patir.
Edesia: Numen of food.
Egeria:
A water nymph at Rome who married Numa Pompilius and taught him about the gods,
at Aricia she was recognized as a goddess, forming a triad with Diana and Virbius.
Epona: Originally a
Celtic goddess of horses, She was accepted into the Roman pantheon and had a
festival on 18
Dec.
Euan:
Etruscan for an individual's immortal soul, like the Roman genius and juno or
Oscan cereri.
Falacer:
A deified Italic hero, served by a flamen
Falaceris, nothing is really known about Him.
Fascinus: Italic phallic numen, associated with Liber, and who has the power to ward
off the evil eye.
The
phallus hung over a doorway for good luck, much like a horseshoe is today, with
the epithet, "Hic habitat
Felicitas,"
or "Here dwells Happiness." Large phallics were also placed in Roman
gardens to ensure fertility.
Fatuai: The Oscan Goddess called Fauna by the Romans, Daughter of Faunus, She is identified as the Bona
Dea.
Her
Temple of Bon Dea on the Aventine, stored medicinal herbs, guarded by snakes. Her festivals are held on 13
Feb.
and the Faunalia on 5 Dec. Another name for Her at Tarentum is Damia.
Faunus, Fatuus
or Inuus: The
"well-wisher" good spirit of wood and plain, He is the son of Picus.
A pastoral
and
hunting god, who gave oracles, He was later identified with the Greek Pan.
His temple on an island in the
Tiber
was dedicated 13 Feb. 193 BCE. As Inuus He is a god of fertility and
sexual intercourse, said by Livy to
have
been the original deity honored at Lupercalia.
Febris: Numen to ward off fevers.
Februus: One of the Dii Inferi as a God of Purification.
Felicitas: Goddess of good fortune, with cornucopia and
herald's staff, celebrated on 9 Oct.
Ferentina:
Oscan form of Libitina, combining Flora, Venus, and Ceres, She is
the Earth Goddess of the Latin
League
and one of the secret names of Roma.
Her main sanctuaries were at Aricia, and Ferentium of the
Hernicii.
Feronia:
Italic Goddess of fire and fertility flowers, blossoms, and ripe fruit of fields
and trees, also the goddess
of
the flower of youth and its pleasures.
She is an Italic goddess combining attributes of Flora, Venus and
Libera, and is sometimes
identified with Vesta. She tames wild areas with orchards, and is
also a goddess of
woods
and all trees. At Rome She was also a
goddess of freed slaves whose festival was held on 13 November.
Fessonia:
Goddess who aids the weary.
Fides Plublica:
The gods of good faith and verbal contracts, on 1 Oct. the flamines Dialis, Martialis, and
Quirinitalis
made sacrifices to them on the Capitol, arriving in two-horse drawn chariots.
Flora: Goddess of
flowers, first fruits, especially the fruits of grains, Her temple near the
Circus Maximus was dedicated 238 BCE.
The Ludi Florales held in Her
honor became annual games in 173 BCE, and under the
empire
were extended throughout 28 Apr-3 May for Floralia. They began with theatrical performances,
followed
by races, and ending with sacrifices to Flora. Hares and goats were set loose, and vetches,
beans, and
lupines
were distributed to the spectators.
Florus: Oscan god of first fruits, husband of Flora; not found at Rome.
Fluonia: Numen of menstruation.
Fons: God of Springs,
son of Janus and Juturna, His altar on the Janiculum,
was honored at the Fontinalia on
13
October.
Forculus:
Numen of doorways.
Fornax, Oscan Purasia: Goddess of the ovens used to
roast grain, honored in the Fornacalia
during first part of February. Her
festival involved roasting grain in an ancient fashion, the ovens set up in the
Forum. The festival
was
conducted by the Curiae under the
supervision of the Curio Maximus. Those who missed sacrificing on the
date
it was held were called stulti
(fools) and had to make a special sacrifice on the Quirinalia.
Fortuna: Goddess
of Good Fortune, perhaps the most important goddess. Pliny says, “Fortuna alone is invoked,
alone
commended, alone accused and subjected to reproaches; deemed volatile and
indeed, by most men, blind
as
well, wayward, capricious, fickle in Her favors and favoring the unworthy (N.H.
2.22). F. Primigenia sets the
destiny of children at their birth, 13 Nov. F. Privata of family life. F. Publica of the state, 5 April. F. Liberum
of
children. F. Virginalis of virgins,
11 June. F. Muliebris of women. F. Virilis of boys, youths, and the
happiness
of
women in marriage. F. Barbata to whom boys dedicated the first shaving of their
beards. F. Victrix who
gave
victories. F. Redux who brought people home safely. F.
Tranquilla for prosperous voyages. F. Comes or
Dux for the fortune
of leaders, while F. Caesaris and F. Augusta
were for the emperors. Each order had
their
own,
F. Patricia, F. Plebis and F. Equestris. F.
Bona for good fortune and F. Mala
to ward off bad luck each
had
a temple. F. Blanda for flattering, F.
Obsequens for yielding, F. Viscata
for enticing. F. Dubia for
doubtful
luck, F. Brevis for fickle fortune,
and F. Manens for constant
luck. F. Equestris for horses, 13 August. Fors Fortuna for games of chance, 25 May and 24 June. F. Huiusque for luck of the day, 30
July. Her main temple
in
Rome was in the Forum Boarum, Her largest temple, and an oracle was at
Praeneste,
Fraus: Daughter of Orcus and Nox, with a
snake’s tail and hidden deformities, She is a goddess of fraud and deception.
Frutesca: Numen of fruit.
Fulgora: Numen of lightning.
Furrina:
Goddess of
highway bandits, Her festival was held on 25 July.
Futrei
Kerriiai: Oscan for Daughter of Ceres, She is Libitania.
Garanos:
Italic hero, slayer of Cacus, he was later identified as Hercules.
Genii Cucllati:
Hooded figures, usually singular, except in Britannia where three hooded
figures were depicted, representing fertility, prosperity and regeneration. See
Suleviae Junones.
Genius
Publicus: Numen of public spirit, honored on 9
October.
Gods
of Early Childhood: The indigimenta of Juno, Potina and Educa teach
children to eat and drink after
being weaned. Cuba protects child
while being transferred from cradle to bed.
Ossipaga protects a child's
bones,
Carna
the flesh and major organs. Levana guides a child to raise self
from ground. Statilinus or Dea Statina
aids child to stand. Abeona and Adeona for
first steps. Farinus teaches the child to talk.
Gods
of Marriage: Different indigimenta of Juno are associated with marriage
ceremonies. In addition there is
mention of indigimenta of the first wedding night. The only source for these latter indigimenta is however
Augustine of Hippo, writing against the
pagan gods, so it cannot be certain that the indigimenta of the wedding
night were ever part of the Roman
pantheon. These indigimenta then are Pronuba or Jugatinus and Juga of
marriage, Domiduca who leads the
bride to her husband’s house and Domitius
who keeps the bride at her new
home, Unxia
who anoints the doorposts of the bride’s new home, Cinxia who ties and loosens the bride’s girdle, Virginiensis of the bride’s virginity, Subigus to tame the bride, Prema the mother goddess who overpowers
the husband by holding the bride, Pertunda
along with Venus and Priapus to ensure penetration in coitus
of the first
night, Perficia
for coitus, and Maturna who sees
that the bride and groom remain together.
Grabovius,
Umbrian Krapuvi: Italic God of Oaks,
the original Capitoline deity, later identified with Jupiter,
Mars and Cerus.
Hecate: One of the Dii Inferi, a goddess of revenge, and a protectress. Goddess of the crossroads, and of
abandoned
infants, She may be identified with Laverna. Her title in Oscan as Mother of the Manes is
Maauissa
and
thus She is the Genita Manuana.
Otherwise She is the sister of Latona
and often identified with Diana.
Hercules,
Oscan Herekleis and Etruscan Hercle: Unlike the Heracles of Greek
myth, he married Minerva and
fathered
Maris. A guardian of vows as Sancus,
or Dius Fidius, he is also called Victor, Invictus on 12-13 August, Custos
on 4 June, and Defensor. At Silchester in Britannia he was Hercules Saegon, in northeast Gaul
H. Magusanus
and in Narbonensis, H. Ilunnus. At Rome his Ara Maxima was in the Forum
Boarum.
A
semidivine hero in early myths, later he became a solar savior deity.
Herentai: Oscan
Venus, Goddess of Beauty and
Love. She is also a Goddess of Gardens
and garden flowers.
Hersilia: Sabine wife of Romulus that was deified by Juno and became Hora.
Hinthial:
Etruscan for ghost, shade, or reflection.
Honos
or Honor: The numen of honor whose
festival was on 17 July.
Imporcitor: Indigimentum of Ceres of the third plowing.
Aratio tertius.
Indigetes: A
class of lesser deities, like the heroes Aeneas and Evander.
Insitor:
Indigimentum of Ceres for sowing.
Intercidona:
A goddess who protects the household and family from the evil wishes of
others. See under Deuerra.
Inuus: Oscan Faunus, god of fertility and sexual
intercourse, who Livy claimed was the deity originally honored
at
Lupercalia on 15 February.
Janus Etruscan Ani: Pater Matutinus, "breaker of the day," the oldest God,
the God of gods, the Good Creator,
the
beginner of all things. Light, the sun,
opener of the heavenly gates. As Consiuius (The Sower) He is the
spouse
of Juturna, goddess of springs, and
father of Fontus. Janus
is also spouse of Venila, a Goddess
of
shallow
seas who is sometimes considered the wife of Neptune. As Janus Quirinus he is a god of peace,
that is,
peace
won by the vigilent Quirites. Janus Pater the creator of 1 January
and 17 August. He is called
Janus Bifrons
(two-faced), Janus Patulcius (the
opened door during wartime), and Janus
Clusivus
(the
closed door during peace). A minor
deity of same name is a guardian of doorways.
Juga: An Italic Goddess of Courtship, who at Rome
became an indigimentum of Juno. Her
diminuative form of Jugatina is a
numen of mountain ridges.
Juenta: Numen of youth.
Juno, Iovino,
the Oscan Cerna, and Etruscan Uni: the Bringer of Light, Goddess of
Birth and of beginnings.
Iuno Sospita Mater Regina
is the Savior, regenerator of the dead on 1 Feb. Iuno Curitis or Iuno Quiritis, is the
Sabine
war goddess, 7 Oct.. I. Sororia of girls at puberty on 1
Oct. As Iuno Domiduca She leads the bride to her husband's house. As Iuno
Unxia She anoints the doorstep. As Iuno Cinxia She unties and loosens the
bride's girdle. As Iunoa Pronuba and Iuno Iuga She
is the foundress of marriage. Iuno Moneta is "the Advisor,"
on 1 June and 10
Oct. But Iuno
Caprotina, "of the goat," on 7 July, and celebrated by slave
girls and ancillae. I. Lucina and
I. Opigena
of childbirth. Queen of Heaven I. Regina, 1 Sept. Also I.
Populonia and I. Sispes. She is honored
together
with Jupiter, Her brother and
husband, on 1 July and 13 Sept. on the anniversary of the dedication of
the
Capitoline temple in 507 BCE. Her other
temple on the Aventine was dedicated in 392 BCE.
Juno: Numen of the female
power of bearing; also the individual spirit in females.
Jupiter:
From Diovis pater (heavenly father), He is the Etruscan Tin, or Tinia, and the
Oscan Diuuei: Prior to
His
identification with the Greek Zeus as a king of the gods, He was Iovi Lucetis, God of light, dawn, and
the
full
moon, Iove Fulgurator and Iovi Fulminator as God of lightning
flashes, Iove Tonansor or Iove Tonitrualis,
the
thunderer, and Iove Pluuius, the God
of rain.
Juturna:
Goddess of foundations, rivers, and springs. She had a temple in the Campus
Martius and a shrine at a
sacred
spring where on 11 January the Juturnalia
was celebrated.
Juventus:
Numen of youth celebrated on 19 December.
Kerri: Oscan form of Ceres, an Earth Mother who is both a Goddess of Grain, and a Goddess
of Regeneration.
Krapuui:
Umbrian oak god, associated later with Jupiter,
see Grabovius above.
Kurrenui,
or Kurreii: He is the Samnite
version of Roman Quirinus and Sabine
Curis.
Laran:
Etruscan war god, depicted with cape and spear.
Lares: The Lares
Familiaris is the titular founder and head of a family, the other Lares being ancestors of a
family. The Lares
vicorum are the protective spirits of roads, and the Lares compitales are the spirits of a neighborhood whose boundaries
are defined by roads. Both were honored
in the Compitalia. The Lares
Praestite
s are protective spirits
of the city, at Rome considered to be two. They were depicted either as dogs or
as men
having
the heads of dogs.
Larentina: A Goddess of Death, also called Acca Larentia, Larunda, Mania, and Lara,
Mother of the Lares.
Also
called Muta after Jupiter tore out Her tongue for
revealing one of His indiscretions..
She is the mother of
the
Manes sacrificed to by the flamen Quirinalis at Larentalia on 23 December.
Lasa: Etruscan female guardian of graves, often
depicted with mirrors, wreaths, sometimes winged. Unlike the Manes, Lares, or Lemurae, the Lasae were
guardian angels in one's lifetime, and remained at a gravesite after
death. In the Carim
Fratrum Arvalum the Lasae are
identified with the Lares Praestites.
Latona: Wife of Jupiter
before Juno, Mother of Apollo and Diana, in Greek myth She was Leto.
Laverna:
Goddess of thieves and imposters, orphans and lost children.
Lemurae or
Larvae: The Lemurae are spirits of the dead who were not given proper burial
rites, or whose
family
has died out, and thus can no longer have proper rites performed for them. The Lemurae
may be
distinguished
from the Larvae in that they are not
necessarily evil spirits, whereas the latter are the spirits of
the
dead who were evil in life as well as in death.
Liber: Italic God of Fertility, spouse of Libera; later as Pater Liber identified with Bacchus
(after 186 BCE) and African Shadrapa.
His festival is the Liberalia
celebrated on 17 March.
Libera:
Wife of Liber and Daughter of Ceres, most often associated with Proserpina but more properly as
Libitina. Also She may be seen as a younger form of Ceres.
She is a star goddess Astera
(Virgo) of the
underworld,
that is, the portion of the zodiac lying beneath the celestial equator.
Libertas: Goddess of the manumission of slaves, who is
especially endeared by cats.
Libertina: A Goddess of lustfulness.
Libitina: Italic Goddess of voluptuous delight, gardens,
vineyards, and also of death and the departed, She
combines
attributes of Venus and Proserpina. In Her temple was kept the register of the dead.
Limentina
and Limentinus: Goddess and God of
the threshold.
Lina: A Goddess of weaving.
Losna:
Etruscan
moon goddess.
Lua
Mater: Wife of Saturn who protected all things purified by and for rituals.
Lucina:
At Rome adopted as an indigimenta of both Diana
and Juno, She is an Italic goddess
“bringing things to
light,” a moon goddess ruling over women and
birth.
Luna:
Roman goddess of the moon whose festivals are celebrated 31 March, 24 & 28
August.
Maatreis Maauissa: Oscan Mother goddess similar to Hecate, She is a form of Ceres as a Goddess of the dead,
and
as Mater Matuta and Mania Genita. See Manes.
Mafitei: Oscan Ceres
and Libitina, Mother and Daughter as
manifestations of one another. The Bona Dea
who
at Rome is otherwise identified with Fauna.
Maia Maiestas:
The Oscan Earth Mother, called Ops
by the Romans. She is also a goddess of
Spring, identified at
Rome
with Fauna and the Bona Dea, She is the wife of Vulcan, mother of Mercury. In Greek myth she
was
regarded
as one of the Pleiades and is so found in Latin literature as well.
Manes: Spirits of the dead. Three times each year (24 Aug, 5 Oct, 8 Nov)
the stone was lifted from the
mundus,
to allow the Manes to arise. They were led by Mania Genita, also called Lara
or Larunda, and by Ovid,
Muta (the Mute). In earliest times they were sacrificed young
boys, later with poppies and garlic, woolen dolls,
called
maniae, that were hung over doorways
for protection. On the Night of the
Dead, at new moon around 1
Nov,
houses are sealed, the windows shuttered and mirrors turned to the wall, for if
the Manes see a child they
steal
her away. The father of the household
performs a rite of propitiation to keep the Manes away from his
children
at Lemuralia. Offer beans, egg, wine, bread, roses,
violets, milk and honey, oil, blood of sheep on 13
Feb.
at Feralia.
Mars, Mavors, Mamers,
Oscan Bellante and Maris Tiusta not to be confused with Maris below): One of the Dii Consentes,
he is the son of Juno by virgin
birth (She having conceived Him from a lily), brother of Bellona, and husband of Nerio. God who defends herds, boundaries, fields,
and agriculture, later to become the Roman God
of
War. Originally He may have been
identified as a Latin Cerus or Quirinus, warding off disease from
fields and animals, or else He later took those roles at Rome. At Iguvium He is invoked alongside Jupiter and Cerus, all associated with Grabovius. As God of War He became Mars Gradivus (the Strider), awakened to battle by
generals
striking His sacred shield (ancilla)
and spear (hasta) with the cry, “Mars viliga!” He is accompanied by
Pavor and Pallor who instill fear and confusion
in His enemies. His altar was in the
Campus Martius, His temple
on
the Via Appia outside Rome. Later,
August built a Temple of Mars Ultor
(Mars the Avenger) in the Forum
Augusti
in 2 BCE, commemorated on 1 June. The
entire month of March is dedicated to Him, the Salii
performing
a dancing procession with the ancillae
throughout Rome. His festivals are the Equirria celebrated
with
contests for war steeds on 27 Feb., as Mars
Pater, the father of Romulus and Remus, on 1 March, the Tubilustrium of 23 March, as Mars Invictus on 14 May, October Equus on 15 Oct. and at the Armilustrium on 19 October.
Mantus and Mania: Etruscan God and Goddess of the
Underworld, they are the Oscan Mantua and Mantoua.
Maris: Italic thrice-born god who lived 130 years,
he is the son of Minerva and Hercules. He is called
Maris Husrnana
when a child of Minerva, Maris Halna, as an adult with (possibly
his wife) Amamtunia, and
Maris Isminthianus
in death with Leinth.
Mamerurius Venturius:
The “Old Man of March” who is driven out of the city each year to ward off
disease.
Matuta, Mater Matuta: Goddess of Dawn and of
birth, harbors, seas. On 11 June is
when mothers prayed to Her
for
their nephews and nieces during the Matralia.
Maturna: Numen who keeps couples together.
Meditrina: Daughter of Aesculapis, She is the Goddess of Healing, unlike Her sister Hygenia who preserves
health. Her festival is the Meditrinalia of 11October.
Mefitis: Numen of the stench of sewers and swamps
that produce disease.
Mellona: Goddess of honey.
Mens:
Prudence and intelligence celebrated on 8 July,
this was also a term for an individual's (mind) spirit.
Mercia: Numen
of laziness.
Mercury:
Son of Maia and Volcalnus, God of commerce and communication, messenger of the
gods,
psychopomp
who leads male spirits into incarnation, and in death leads them back to the
stars. (Iris for female
spirits).
His temple on the Aventine was dedicated in 495 BCE, commemorated on 15 May.
Messor and Messia: Messor was the indigimenta of Consus as a god of reaping. Messia
as a goddess of reaping,
was
an indigimenta of Ceres.
Minerva:
Etruscan Menrva, in Oscan Catanai or Ciistai: Goddess of good wisdom, weaving, arts, and written
laws. Under Greek influence, identified with their
war goddesses, Athene, Minerva became identified as a
goddess
of stratagems in warfare, unlike Mars
or Bellona who were deities of the
fury of battle. She is unlike
the
Greek virginal Athena in that She
was married to Hercules and bore him
a mortal son, Maris, by drawing
him
from an urn. Her festivals are held on 19 March, 19 June, and 13
September. Together with Jupiter and
Juno She had a temple
on the Capitoline, dedicated in 507 BCE. Another temple was located on the
Aventine.
Minerva Capta
whose temple was on the Caelia, was brought to Rome from the Falscii. The Esquiline Nympheum
was
also a Temple of Minerva Medica. Another important temple and cult center for
Minerva was at Praeneste.
Molae: Daughter of Mars, goddess of the grindstones, and patroness of millers.
Naenia: Goddess of funerals and dirges (naeniae).
Nemesis:
One of the Dii Inferi, She chastises
the prideful, wreaks vengeance on the unjust, and punishes the impious. She maintains and restores the natural
balance of nature. Her attributes are
the measuring rod, bridle and yoke, a sword and scourge, wings and wheel, and
She rides a chariot drawn by griffins.
She was especially worshipped at Rome by generals, less She punish them
for having extraordinary good fortune in battle or for their boastfulness. Her power extends over both gods and men,
and She is not under the authority of Jupiter.
Nemestrinus: God of groves, in Gaul He was identified
with Mars.
Neptune:
One of the Dii Consentes, God of the
Seas, husband of Salacia, whose main
festival is the Neptunalia
of
23 July. Agrippa built the Temple of Neptune in the Campus Martius. Neptune
was identified with the Greek
god
Poseidon after 399 BCE and thereby became a patron of horsemanship. His temple was in the Circus
Flaminius,
a festival for Him held on 1 December.
Nerio: Sabine consort of Mars, Goddess of Fertility.
Neverita: A wife of Neptune.
Noduterensis:
An indigimentum of Ceres for the
threshing-floor.
Nodutus:
Indigimentum of Ceres, being the
joints and knots on the stems of grain plants.
Nortia: Etruscan Fortuna.
Nox:
Goddess of Night.
Obarator:
An indigimentum of Ceres for
topdressing of fields (such as with manure).
Occator:
An indigimentum of Ceres for hoeing.
Ops: Earth Mother, wife of Saturnus. 25 Aug. Opsiconsivia; 19Dec. Opalia. Opeconsiua,
invoked with one
hand
touching earth, She is the mother of Jupiter,
and also called Maia, Tellus, or Mater (Tellus).
Orbona:
Numen invoked by childless couples to assist in pregnancy.
Orcus: Italic demon that
carried the dead off to the Underworld, he carried a large mallet to first stun
the dead.
Pales: An ancient Goddess of Shepherds. 21 April Parilia. Another festival on 7 July. Purification rite of sacred
groves
and fountains, also of houses and of herds.
With a mixture of sulfur, incense and sheep's blood, spread
on
three bundles of the herb beanstraw, then set on fire; they are then leaped
over three times. In Rome there
was
another Pales of alleyways.
Palici: Two beneficial spirits of Mt Etna,
protectors of pasturelands.
Parcae: The Italic version of the Greek Moirae, also
called Fates by the Roman, and by
the Etruscans Horae.
Patelana:
Indigimentum of Ceres, being the
husks of corn when they first open to allow the ears to emerge.
Patir Maatutinui:
The Oscan title for Janus as “Opener
of the Ways”. See Janus.
Pax: Roman Goddess of
Peace, who carries a cornucopia in her left hand and an olive branch in her
right.
Pellonia: Numen that drives away enemies.
Penates: Numina of the storeroom or pantry, closely
identified with the Lares.
Perficia: Numen of coitus.
Pertunda: An Italic goddess of female virginity,
modesty and chastity, She was in Rome Pudicitia.
Peta: Numen of prayer.
Picumnus: Italic God of Agriculture, inventor of the
use of manure, at Rome he became Saturnus. Husband of Canens, brother of Pilumnus. Both brothers are guardians of newborn
infants and women in childbirth.
Picus: Son of Saturnus,
father of Faunus by Canens, He is an old Italian God of
Agriculture, also a forest deity
of
prophecy. In a diminutive form He
became a warlike hero, king of Latium, turned into a woodpecker (picus)
for
spurning Circe. Picumnus is reborn as His own son in Picus.
Pietus: Numen of domestic affection.
Pilumnus: Brother of Picumnus. An old Italic god
of bakers, He is the inventor of the pestle.
Pluto: Roman god of the
wealth of the earth. He has more to do
with minerals than vegetation. His name
was sometimes used in place of Dis Pater
as a kind of Hades although He was
not originally a god of the Underworld.
Pomona:
Goddess of Fruit and fruit trees, She is the wife of Vertumnus.
Portunus: Originally He was an Italic god of the house
entrances, thus a doorman with the attribute of a key.
In
Rome He became a God of Harbours whose festival on 7 Aug. is the Portunalia.
Priapus: Hellenistic ithyphallic god, a son of Bacchus and Venus, He was especially popular in southern Italy.
A
god of gardens, fertility, prosperity, and good luck, Roman gardens often
contained a red painted phallic of
Priapus.
Images of Priapus were also placed
in gardens to act as scarecrows.
Promitor: An indigimentum of Ceres of when grain is moved to kitchens. Also a god of sheep and goatherds.
Proserpina,
the Oscan Libitina: "Germinator of the Seed," Her name
is derived from the Greek Persephone,
daughter
of Demeter, and therefor a goddess
of the dead. Originally She was more a
daughter of Ceres in the
sense
of an agricultural goddess (see Libitina). Special festivals to honor Her and Dis were ordered by the
Senate
in 249 and 207 BCE.
Pudicitia:
A numen of
modesty and chastity.
Quirinus:
The Roman name for the Sabine Curis
who founded the Sabine capital of Cures.
He is the Oscan
Kurrenui,
identified at Rome as the apotheotic Romulus, and regarded by some as another
form of Mars s
Romulus
is His son. He was likely a war god,
protector, and defender of cities among the Sabines, later
becoming
a kind of God of War in times of peace, vigilant defense. Mars
was originally more an agricultural God,
only
later becoming warlike. Since the
armies of both Rome and the Sabines were originally composed of gentry,
both
Mars and Quirinus are connected to war and agriculture.
Redarator/Reparator:
Indigimentum of Ceres of the second
plowing. Aratio secundus.
Rediculus: A god attributed with causing Hannibal to
retreat from the gates of Rome.
Rhea Silvia: Mother of Romulus and Remus by Mars; based on a very early earth
mother goddess.
Rhea is the wife of Saturnus.
Robigo and Robigus: Protective deities of crops
against blight. Also deities of ecstatic
prophecy resulting from
the
use of ergot infected rye and similar infections of other grains. 25 April, Robigalia, where the
flamen Quirinalis
made offerings of dog and sheep to Robigo. In the Fasti
Ovid used a feminine form of Robigo
as
the deity worshipped at Robigalia. Columella and Augustine agreed with Ovid,
while Varro (L.L. 6.16) and
Verius
Flaccus (CIL 1:236, 316) use the male form Robigus. Ovid says the
sacrifice made to Robigo on the
Robigalia
was a dog; Columella has the sacrum canarium as a suckling puppy (Rustica
10. 343-3). But this latter
sacrifice
was made at the Porta Catularia when the Dog Star Sirius was rising, which Ovid
says at Fasti 4. 904.
However
the rising of Sirius would have been setting at this time of year, rising only
in early August.
Pliny
mentions instead an augurium canarium being made in late spring before
the ears of grain emerged from
their
husks (N.H. 18. 14). A dog was also sacrificed at the Lupercalia, along with goats, and a
feast was then
held.
Ovid's mention of only the exta being brought to the grove of Robigo indicates that the dog meat was
included
in the sacrificial meal, as would be normal with any sacrifice.
Roma: The numen of Rome
projected over the empire, She is not the same as the genius loci of the city
itself,
nor
the protective goddess of Rome, whose name was held secret (Pliny, N.H. III.65)
Rumina and Rumino: Protective deities of suckling
cattle specifically, and of mothers suckling infants.
They
are connected to the Rumina ficus,
or the suckling tree in the legend of Romulus and Remus..
Ancient
deities who received offerings of milk, They are symbolized by two fig trees in
a grotto. A sanctuary of Rumina was located at the foot of the
Palatine Hill.
Rusina: An indigimetum of Ceres, being the personification of wheat fields and farmlands.
Sabazios:
Originally a Thracio-Phrygian god of fermented juice, at Rome He became closely
identified with
Juppiter
and Bacchus. As a syncretic savior god, Conservator, of the Imperial period, He
was closely associated
the
Carthaginian Tanit, called Venus Caelistis at Rome, and with
Mithraism, also with Castor and Pollux,
Mercury,
and as Attis with Cybele.
Salacia: Wife of Neptune,
She of the salty ocean depths.
Salus:
God of healing whose festival was held on 5 August.
Sarritor: An indigimentum of Ceres for hoeing.
Sator: An indigimentum of Ceres for the sowing of fields.
Saturnus
or Semino: Titan father of the Di consentes, God of the Abundant Earth
and consort of Ops.
Representing
the father of the gods of the pre-Italic peoples, the Ausones, He brought an
earlier form of
agriculture
to Italy, prior to Ceres instituting
grain cultivation, and ruled the earth during the Golden Age.
His
main festival is the Saturnalia on
17-23 Dec. At the foot of the
Capitoline His temple served as the state
treasury,
the aerarium Saturni. He was later identified at Rome with the
Greek Cronus. Many of the
Neolithic
megaliths and stone walls of Italy are attributed to the "Sons of
Saturnus" who were giants
Scabies: Numen of itching and skin diseases.
Segetia:
An indigimentum of Consus as grain
ripens above ground.
Seia: Indigimentum of Consus for sown grain seeds.
Sethlans: An Etruscan Vulcanus from the Punic Sethlos.
Silvanus,
or the Etruscan Selvans: Ancient God
of boundaries between woodlands and meadows, of farms, fields
and
gardens, His sacred grove is always on the border of an estate. As Silvanus
Domesticus He is guardian of
the
house. Silvanus Agrestis watches over flocks. Silvanus Orientalis is
the guardian of boundaries.
Silvanus Callirius
is King of the Woodland or God of the Hazel Wood at Colchester. Silvanus
Cocidius was a god
of
hunting along Hadrian’s Wall. As Silvanus
Nodens together with Mars Nodens
at Lydney, or as Mars Silvanus, He
is a god of healing, warding off disease.
Silenus:
Depicted as an intoxicated, jolly old man, fat and balding, with large ears and
a pug nose, He was
renown
for His wisdom and was the teacher of Bacchus. Originally maybe a sylvan, He began to
appear at
Rome
in the 5th century with His own characteristic features.
Sima: A snub-nosed satyr of Etruscan myth.
Sol: The sun; as Sol Indiges on 9 Aug., identified with Apollo on 28 Aug., and as Sol Invictus on 25 December.
Soranus: The mediator between the gods and men, who
oversees health and purification through savage,
ecstatic
rites. A Sabine god, often identified
with Apollo, whose oracle was at
Mont Soracte, and whose priests,
the
hirpini, carried offerings to him on a path of hot coals. Soranus
is also known as the wolf god Sancus
at
Rome,
as Hirpus among the Samnite Hirpini.
His female counterpoint is Hirpa,
sometimes called Feronia, also
known
in Rome as Angeronia who was
regarded as the protective goddess of Rome and was silenced to prevent
Her
from revealing Her secret name, thought to be Sorania.
Sospita: "The Saving Goddess" is often an
epitaph of Juno or Minerva, but may originally have been a
Goddess
in
Her own right.
Spes:
Numen of
hope, her festival was held on 1 August..
Spiniensis:
Numen for uprooting thorn bushes.
Stata
Mater: Numen protectress against fires.
Strenia:
As Sabine Goddess of Health and Vigor, She aids in strenuous work. Also a Goddess of Prosperity, She
oversees
gift giving at New Years, and is made offerings for prosperity in the coming
year. At Rome Her temple
was
on the Via Sacra. A Roman version of
Her as Goddess of Health is Salus,
She resided in Rome under both
names.
On 1 Jan. good luck charms called strenae,
composed of twigs of the “Sabine tree”, juniper, were
brought
from Her grove and exchanged as gifts.
Sterculinius: An indigimentum of Ceres for fertilizing fields with manure, Fecundus.
Suadela: Numen of persuasion.
Suleviae
Junones or Matres Suleviae: A triad of goddesses for
fertility, health, and regeneration.
Subigus: Numen of the wedding night.
Summanus: Protective God of nighttime who roared with thunder
and cast lightning. His festival is
held 20 June.
Sylvani:
Semidivine woodland creatures, similar to satyrs with whom they began to be identified in the 6th
century
BCE, but with equine features and large pointed ears, they are lecherous males associated with nymphs.
Tages: Indigetis of Etruscan myth, he arose from a
furrow in the form of a infant on a cloud of smoke, and
became
the giver of sacred books on prophecy, haruspicini, and the rites of the Aiseras.
Tainai: The Oscan form of Diana, or Etruscan Tana, a Goddess of the Moon.
Talassio: Numen of marriage, her name was called out
as a bride was carried through the streets to the house
of
the groom’s family.
Taraxippus: A demon that makes horses shy.
Tarchon
and Tyrrhenus: Indigites
founders of the Etruscan League.
Tarpeia: Goddess of Death and disease.
Tellus: Mother Earth, invoked during
earthquakes. Associated with Ops, Ceres, and Maia. Her
festivals are on
24
Jan., 15 April, and 13 Dec.
Tellumui: Oscan form of Plutoun, spouse of Tellus,
He is associated with the mineral bounty of the earth,
rather
than vegetation, and does not have any association with an Underworld of the
dead.
Tempestates:
A Goddess of Weather, who had a temple at Rome, especially concerned with
storms at sea, to
Whom
sacrifices were made in propitiation.
Terminus: God of Boundaries, especially stone
walls. His festival is held on 23 Feb.,
Terminalia. May be
associated
with Monte Termino as a guardian of the mountain sanctuary of Ceres.
Thalna:
Etruscan goddess of childbirth, consort of Tinia.
Tibernus:
Genius loci of the Tiber River. On 15
May the Pontiff Maximus and Vestal Virgins, accompanied by
the
praetors, walk in procession to the Pons Sublicius and cast the argei, 24 straw puppets substituted for
old
men
that were believed to once have been sacrificed. With Gaia He is
honored on 8 December.
Tin, Tinia: Etruscan Jupiter, more specifically a sky god of the North.
Tiv: Etruscan goddess of night and the moon.
Tuchulucha:
Etruscan
Underworld demon with snake hair, a vulture’s beak and wings.
Turan: Etruscan goddess of love, health, and
fertility, often shown as a winged young woman. She is closely
identified
with Venus, but also has aspects
where she is a protectress of marriage, or a goddess of love in
marriage. She is very uncharacteristic of the Roman Venus.
Turms: Etruscan form of Hermes as a psychopomp.
Tutanus and Tutilina: Numina of grain resting in barn, invoked in times of trouble. Tutilina was also an
indigimentum
of Consus as a goddess of stored
grain.
Uni, or Uniel: Etruscan
form of Juno, but also Astarte, so that she became a goddess
of the cosmos, Perugia.
Vacuna: Sabine Goddess of Victory, identified with Bellona. Also as a god of leisure and repose, His festival in
Rome
is held in December.
Valentina: Umbrian Goddess of Healing, Her sanctuary
was at Oriculum.
Vallonia: Numen of valleys.
Vanth: An Etruscan demon of death, with all seeing
eyes on his wings, he assists the ill on their deathbeds.
His
attributes include the snake, torch and key.
Veiouis, Vediouis:
Italic God of expiation and protector of runaway criminals. He is a God of the underworld,
but
unlike Pluto. Rather, He is “the opposite of Jupiter,”
called upon against enemy cities as Jupiter
is called
upon
to defend Rome and its cities. His
festivals are on 1 Jan., 7 March, 21 May.
Veive: An Etruscan god of revenge, whose attributes
are the goat, laurel wreath, and arrows.
Venelia: Wife of Neptune
who oversees shallows seas.
Venus Oscan Herentina and Libitina: Goddess of Love, also considered a goddess of flowers and
of gardens.
Her
earliest Roman name appears to have been Murcia
as a goddess of gardens and spring flowers, later
interpreted
as Myrtea, Goddess of Myrtles. She may then have been a goddess of spring
flowers and gardens,
with
which She was closely identified at Rome.
First mention of Venus is in
217 BCE when Venus Erycina was
brought
to Rome from Sicily, by order of the Sibylline Books following the Roman defeat
at Lake Trasieme (see Atargatis). That same year was held the Lecistratum introducing the Dii Consentes as Rome’s counterpart to
the
Greek Olympians, and Venus became
identified with Aphrodite. Venus Genetrix was the mother of
Aeneas,
and
therefore regarded as the mother of the Roman people, and especially of gens
Iulii through Aeneas’ son Julus. Julius
Caesar built a temple to Her in the Forum in 46 BCE. The Templum Urbis built by Hadrian in 135 CE was dedicated to Roma and Venus Genetrix. Her
festival on 1 April, Veneralia, was
shared with Fortuna Virilis,
and
Verticordia (Concordia as a goddess who turns the hearts of women towards
chastity and modesty). The
Vinalia
of 23 April was dedicated to Venus
Erycina and Jupiter. The Vinalia
of 19 Aug. was dedicated to
Jupiter
and Venus Libitina, where She was
also recognized as a goddess of prostitution.
She was closely
identified
with Flora, Herentina, and Libitina,
yet She was unlike Etruscan Turan
who was a Goddess of Love in
marriage
and chastity. Identified with Aphrodite
She became the wife of Vulcanus (Greek
Hephaestus). As
Venus Victorix
She charmed Mars, a popular motif in
Roman art. The mother of Cupid and also the mother of
Priapus
by Bacchus, most if not all of Her
myths were derived from Greek myth.
Verminus:
Roman god of the dead and of disease. His name means “wormy”.
Verplaca: Numen who reconciles families.
Verminus:
Protective numen of cattle from worms.
Vertumnus
or Vortumnus:
"The Turner," "the Changer," an Italic God of fruit,
changer of seasons, protector of gardeners.
He was also a shape-shifter who won Pomona
as his wife after She had vowed to remain virgin.
Their festival is held on 13 August.
Vervator or Vervactor:
An indigimentum of Ceres for the
first plowing. Primo aratio.
Vesta: Known most as a Roman Goddess of the Hearth,
She is associated with the Lares and penantes. Her festival, the Vestalia, was held on 9 July.
Victoria:
Goddess of Victory whose festivals were celebrated on 17 July and 1 August.
Virbius: An Italic God, with Diana, of the wood and the chase, in later legend raised to life by
Asclepius. He is
the
spirit of the Diana nemus at Aricia
who is instilled in the Rex Nemorensis
Vitalia:
Numen of Italy
Volcanus: Italic husband of Maiesta (Maia), who
ripens fruit through his inner warmth, at Rome he became one
of
the Dii consentes in 217 BCE,
identified with the Greek Hephaestus and husband to Venus. The Volcanalia
was
held on 23 August. Also as Mulciber, "The Smelter," His
festival is on 23 May.
Volta: A wolf-headed
monster.
Voltumna: The Etruscan chthonic God, Veltha, later the supreme deity of the
Volsini, sometimes identified
with
Vertumnus in Rome.
Volutina:
An indigimentum of Ceres for husks
of corn while folded over ears of grain.
Volturnus:
A god of wind and water, His festival is on 27 August.
Voluptes: Numen of sensuality.
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