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Roman Gods and Goddesses<br />
Jupiter<br />
He was the most powerful god, protector of <strong>Rome</strong> and ruler of the universe. Jupiter was a sky god of<br />
thunder and lightning whose symbols were the eagle and the thunderbolt. <strong>Ancient</strong> astronomers<br />
named a planet after Jupiter, who was the son of Saturn. His temple was the religious centre of <strong>Rome</strong><br />
and his temples were built in every Roman town. When the consuls were appointed in January each year, bulls<br />
were sacrificed to thank Jupiter for his protection the previous year.<br />
TEACHERS<br />
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Mars<br />
Mars was the god of war and Romans prayed to him for successes over their enemies. He was specially important<br />
as he was thought to be the father of Romulus and Remus. Originally the god of farmland, March is named<br />
after him as it was the start of the Roman growing season. The planet Mars was named after him because of its<br />
angry red colour. When war broke out a Roman consul had to shake the god’s sacred spears and cry ‘Mars vigila’<br />
– ‘Mars, wake up!’.<br />
Neptune<br />
God of the sea and son of Saturn. Neptune’s son, Triton, was said to be half man and half fish. Statues show him<br />
with a trident, a three-pronged spear, which he used to raise or quieten storms at sea. Sailors prayed to him for<br />
a safe journey and the world famous Trevi Fountain in <strong>Rome</strong> includes a statue of Neptune, who also had a<br />
planet named after him.<br />
Minerva<br />
As the daughter of Jupiter she was an important goddess. She was the goddess of arts and crafts and education<br />
and her temple was a popular meeting place for artists, actors and poets. Her main festival was in March and<br />
later she became the goddess of wisdom and war.<br />
Mercury<br />
Jupiter’s messenger and god of roads and travel. He wore winged sandals and was also the god of trade. His name<br />
has given us the words ‘merchant’ and ‘commerce’. He was the son of Jupiter and snakes wound around his staff<br />
protected him on his travels. His first temple was built in 495 BC and his name has also been given to a planet.<br />
Ceres<br />
An Earth goddess of agriculture, especially fruit and grain—‘cereal’ comes from her name. She was worshipped<br />
by farmers and the common people of <strong>Rome</strong>. Her temple built in 493 BC was damaged by fire in 31 BC but<br />
rebuilt by the emperor Augustus Caesar.<br />
Janus<br />
The two-headed god, with one face looking to the future and the other looking at the historical past. This god<br />
guarded the doors and archways and gave us the name of our first month as he was seen as the protector of the<br />
start of life. His festival day was 9 January and his worship dates back to <strong>Rome</strong>’s early years. In 235 BC the doors<br />
of the temple of Janus were closed to show <strong>Rome</strong> was at peace with all nations for the first time.<br />
Bacchus<br />
Viewing Sample<br />
The festivals for Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, were drinking feasts which were originally held in secret and<br />
attended by women only. Their reputation for drunkenness and riots resulted in the senate passing a decree to<br />
ban them except for special occasions. The Romans began to worship Bacchus after coming into contact with<br />
Greek customs around 700 BC.<br />
– 30 – <strong>Ancient</strong> <strong>Rome</strong> Prim-Ed Publishing www.prim-ed.com