Major Roman Gods and Goddesses Flashcards
Jupiter
Greek:
Function:
Zeus.
The most powerful of all, Zeus was god of the sky and the king of Olympus. His temper affected the weather, and he threw thunderbolts when he was unhappy. He was married to Hera but had many other lovers. His symbols include the oak and the thunderbolt.
Member of the Roman triad
Neptune
Greek:
Function:
Poseidon.
He was god of the sea. He was the most powerful god except for his brother, Zeus. He lived in a beautiful palace under the sea and caused earthquakes** when he was in a temper. His **symbols include the horse and the trident (a three-pronged pitchfork).
Pluto/Dis
Greek:
Function:
Hades/Pluto
Hades was king of the dead. He lived in the underworld, the heavily guarded land where he ruled over the dead. He was the brother of Zeus.
Also the “Wealth Giver” because his realm contained precious minerals* and other *treasures.
Juno
Greek:
Function:
Hera.
Sister and wife of Zeus. Goddess of marriage and domesticity.
Member of the Roman triad
Vesta
Greek:
Function:
Hestia.
Goddess of the hearth. Vestal Virgins were charged with the sacred duty of keeping alight the Eternal flame signifying the Roman state.
Ceres
Greek:
Function:
Demeter
Sister of Zeus, goddess of agricultural fertility. Closely associated with her dauhter Persephone.
Minerva
Greek:
Function:
Athena
She was the goddess of wisdom. Daughter of Zeus. She was also skilled in the art of war. As an Italian goddess she is most associated with crafts and trade guilds.
Member of the Roman triad
Venus
Greek:
Function:
Aphrodite.
Goddes of love and beauty.** Roman goddess most often associated with gardens and flowers. Mother of Aeneas. the mythological _Trojan founder of Latium. _**
Mars
Greek:
Function:
Ares.
Son of Zeus and Hera, he is the personification of male aggression and the fighting spirit, an unpopular god in Greece but highly respected in Rome, where he was identified with Mars, an Italian god of agriculture and war.
Mercury
Greek:
Function:
Hermes.
Son of Zeus and Maia, primarily his father’s messenger, as well as guide of dead souls, and patron of travelers, merchants, highwaymen, gamblers, and thieves
Apollo
Greek:
Function:
Apollo
Son of Zeus and Leto, the radiant god of light, mu- sic, prophecy, and the arts. His most famous shrine was at Delphi, where his priestess, the Pythia, proclaimed the divine will. His son, Asclepius, the first physician, was patron of the healing arts.
Diana
Greek:
Function:
Artemis.
Daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo. Virgin Goddess of wildlife and the hunt. Although her arrows can inflict pains of childbirth, she champions women’s societies, such as the Amazons.
Vulcan
Greek:
Function:
Hephaestus
Son of Hera. He was god of fire and the forge, the master of metalcraft who built the Olympians’ palace. He was married to Aphrodite (Venus)
Liber
Greek:
Function:
Dionysus.
Son of Zeus and Semele, and god of the vine that produces wine, he was a male fertility figure who represented* a great variety of *natural forces,* including the *vegetative cycle of life, growth, death, and rebirth, and the conflicting power of human passions.
He is also called Bacchus and his worhsip was prohibited at Rome in 186 BC
Aesculapius
Greek:
Function:
Asclepius.
Son of Apollo and Coronis, the Greek founder** and patron _of medicine. _**When his skills brought the dead back to life, Zeus killed him with a thunderbolt.
Cupid
Greek:
Function:
Eros.
God of love. The son of Aphrodite and Ares. Always _portrayes as a child. _
Proserpina
Greek:
Function:
Persephone.
Daughter of Zeus and Demeter, personifies grain harvest. When Hades kidnapped her, Demeter, her mother and the goddess of the fertility of the soil, fell into such grief that the gods ordered Persephone’s return to the daylight world for most of the year.
Quirinus/Romulus
Greek:
Function:
Quirinus/Romulus
Roman warrior god identifie with Romulus after the latter’s death. Son of Mars and Rhea Silvia and founder of Rome.
Magna Mater
Greek:
Function:
Cybele.
Asiatic mother goddess whom the Greeks identified with Rhea, the mother of the Olympians. Cult transfered to Rome during the Second Punic War.