Living in ancient Rome

Chapter 6 The Romans and religion

The Roman religion is polytheistic, that is characterized by the presence of many divinities.
Roman religion has a rational character in which utilitarian principles predominate;
for every aspect of existence and for every important activity, the Romans have a god to turn to.
The Romans pardon the gods through sacrifices and the art of divination.
Religious offices are not separated from political functions: one became pontiff at the same time as praetor or consul.
Priests also perform the functions of pontiffs, feiales, vestals, augurs and arùspici.
In addition to publicly venerated deities, each family also has its own tutelary gods: the Lares and the Penates.

List of Roman gods:
Jupiter: King of Heaven and progenitor of all gods.
He is famous for his extramarital adventures from which many heroes have been created, such as Hercules, demigods and some monsters.
Greek form: Zeus
Neptune: God of the sea and earthquakes, he lives in the sea.
Greek form: Poseidon
Pluto: he is not welcome on Olympus, so much so that he does not even have a throne in the abode of the gods.
His control area is the Underworld, where he resides.
In Roman times he also became the divinity of metals, precious stones and all that is underground.
Greek form: Hades
Mars: God of war;
In Roman times he is very important.  He is also given the name "Ultor", that is "the Avenger".
Protector of the Empire, he loses his villainous character of the Greek form, to assume a rigid personality.
Greek form: Ares
Vulcan: As soon as he is born he is thrown down from Olympus by his mother because he does not look good.
God of fire, craftsmen and blacksmiths.
Greek form: Hephaestus
Apollo: he is the god of music, poetry, medicine, archery and bachelors.
Greek form: Apollo
Mercury: God of travelers, travelers, thieves and messengers.  Besides, he is the courier of the gods.
Greek form: Hermes
Bacchus: Originally he is a demigod;  later he becomes the god of wine and festivities.
Greek form: Dionysus
Juno: Wife and sister of Jupiter, she is the goddess of women, marriage, motherhood and fertility.
Greek form: Era
Ceres: Goddess of agriculture.
Greek form: Demeter
Vesta: Goddess of the hearth and the house.  She is a virgin and very humble goddess.  In the Roman period she assumed importance thanks to the creation of the order of the Vestals, a group of priestesses who consecrated themselves to the goddess.
Greek form: Estia
Minerva: she is the goddess of wisdom and minor arts.  She is not much loved by the Romans, because she is the protector of the Greeks, their rivals.  She is a virgin goddess born from the mind of Jupiter.
Greek form: Athena
Venus: Goddess of love.
Greek form: Aphrodite
Diana: Goddess of hunting, virgin girls and childbirth, then of the moon.
She never married or had any children.  At her service she has maids, the so-called "Artemis Slayers", virgin girls under her protection.
Greek form: Artemis