Alexandra CalderónAlexandra CalderónLaura Díaz Laura Díaz

Viviana Rosado Viviana Rosado María Isabel CarvajalMaría Isabel Carvajal

Mistral CedanioMistral CedanioPaula BecharaPaula BecharaMarta BlancoMarta Blanco

Gods and Goddesses (pages 6 to 32) Vesta (page 6) Janus (page 7) Uranus (page 8 ) Maia (page 9) Flora (page 10) Plutus (page 11) Cerberus (page 12) Gorgons (page 13) Mars (page 14 to 15) Venus (page 16 to 17) Cupid (page 18)

Index

Writer: Laura Díaz

Writer: Alexandra Calderón

Writer: Viviana Rosado

Mercury (page 19 ) Minerva (page 20) Ceres (page 21) Vulcan (page 22 to 23 ) Proserpina (page 24 to 25) Bubona (page 26)Jupiter (page 27)Neptune (page 28)Juno (page 29)Pluto (page 30)Apollo (page 31)Diana (page 32)

IndexWriter: Paula Bechara

Writer: Mistral Cedanio

Writer: Marta Blanco

Writer: María Isabel Carvajal

Traditions, Omens, and Festivals (pages 34 to 42)Bona Dea (page 34) by Laura DíazRoman Weddings (page 35) by Alecandra CalderónSacrifices (page 36) by Alexandra CalderónLife After Death (page 37) by Paula BecharaMagic in Rome (page 38) by Mistral CedanioRoman Omens (page 39) by Mistral CedanioSaturnalia (page 40) by Marta BlancoConsualia (page 41) by María Isabel CarvajalLupercalia (page 42) by Viviana Rosado

Index

To Roman culture, Vesta was known as

the virgin goddess of the hearth. It was very important for people to honor and worship her in their homes.

She was represented by fire, which all soldiers took to foreign lands as a sign of immortality. She also served as the symbol of family and household.

In Greek mythology, Vesta is equivalent to Hestia.

Romans celebrated and honored her from June 7th to June 15th, during her festival names Vestalia. On the first day of the festival, women were allowed to enter the inner sanctum of the Vesta temple, which was closed all year.

Vesta’s ass, or donkey, is considered her sacred animal and she is portrayed as a woman wearing a dress and always covering her head.

Vesta

Janus is considered the Roman god

of two heads. He is the god of doors, gates, new beginnings, or endings.

January was the month that represented this god.

Janus was frequently used to symbolize changes in thoughts or transitions from one thing to another. Because of what he symbolized, he was worshiped at weddings, births, harvest, and planting times.

He is one of the few Roman gods who does not have an equivalent in Greek mythology.

He was usually depicted, or represented by a key.

Janus

Janus’s temple

Uranus was considered the god of the sky and

heavens. He was the first son of Gaia, goddess of the

earth, and later became her husband. He had a total of six sons (Oceanus, Coeus,

Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus and Cronus) and a total of six daughters (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe and Tethys)

He also had other offsprings who, most of them, were monsters.

He also conceived Giants with Gaia. These creatures were conceived after Uranus was castrated and his blood fell to the earth.

Uranus was struck with horror every time he saw his offsprings: Cyclops and Hecatoncheires.

His equivalent in Greek mythology is Ouranos.

Uranus

Maia is the Roman goddess of growth. The month of May is named after her. She only associated herself with

women and never men. Her equivalent in Greek mythology is

Fauna. The 1st and 15th of May were sacred

days to her. The festival Bona Dea is a worship to

her. She has a son named Mercury

(messenger of the gods) with Jupiter (king of the gods)

Maia

She is the goddess of flowers, fertility, sex ,

blossoming, and spring. Her festival, which was called Floralia, was

celebrated from the 28th of April until May 1st.

She was created thanks to a nymph named Chloris ; who kissed the West Wind, Zephyrus. After the kiss, Chloris turned into Flora.

She was worshiped at her temple near Cirus Maximus.

Her month is April. Her duty is to make grains, vegetables, trees

bloom to endure a good harvest in Autumn. She has no equivalent in Greek mythology. She conceived Mars (god of war) without a

father. Mars was created when Flora gave Juno a magical flower.

Flora

Plutus is known as the god of

wealth. He was always represented as a boy holding a cornucopia filled with grain and always next to his mother, Demeter.

Plutus was identified with Pluto because he had the power to increase or decrease wealth.

Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) blinded him so that he wouldn’t have preferences in distributing wealth.

His equivalent in Greek mythology is the same.

Plutus

Cerberus was the watch dog

for Pluto which had three heads including a snake on his tale. He has also numerous snake heads on his back.

He is the offspring of Echidna and Typhon.

The only way to defeat him was by putting him to sleep.

Orpheus, Aenas, and Psyche defeated him by uncovering his weakness.

Cerberus

The Gorgons were three

powerful demons named Medousa, Sthenno, and Euryale.

Medousa was killed by Perseous, yet her sisters were immortal.

The three Gorgons are represented as a winged women with broad, round heads, hair made out of serpents, large staring eyes, wide mouths, lolling tongues, flared nostrils, and sometimes, short, coarse beards.

Gorgons

Considered the Roman God of War. According to legends, he was the son of

Jupiter and Juno. The Romans felt like the “children of

Mars” and admired him as their protector.

The month March (Martius) is named after him.

As the god of war, many of his festivals were held during the spring, the beginning of the campaign season.

He was a god of spring, growth in nature, and fertility, and the protector of cattle.

Mars

The two wild animals most

sacred to Mars were the woodpecker and the wolf.

Woodpeckers were sacred because "it is a courageous and spirited bird and has a beak so strong that it can overturn oaks by pecking them until it has reached the inmost part of the tree.“

Wolves were sacred because they were considered the animal version of Mars. They are strong and powerful, like Mars.

Mars (continuation)

Roman goddess of love, beauty and fer

tility. Her Greek equivalent is Aphrodite. She played a key role in many Roman

religious festivals and myths. In Latin, Venus means love and sexual

desire. Caesar built a temple at the Forum in

her honor and her festival, the Veneralia, was celebrated on April 1st.

The festival called Vinalia Rustica, celebrated every year on August 18th,   is held in her honor

These are just a couple of the many festivals in her honor.

Venus

Some emperors such as

Sulla, Caesar and Pompey considered Venus as their protector.

She had number of epithets, or descriptive terms, that referred to her different cult aspects and roles.

Associated with vegetable gardens.

Daughter of Dione and Jupiter.

Venus (continuation)

Cupid is considered the Roman god of love.

His symbols are the bow and a quiver of arrows.

Son of Mars and Venus. His Greek equivalent is Eros. Cupid threw hot darts into men's

chest to make them fall in love. He then claimed he was totally blind during the act.

Cupid is often portrayed as a nude young boy or baby.

He is the youngest god and Venus’s son.

Cupid

Mercury is the messenger

god and the god of trades. He is the son of Jupiter

and Maia Maiestas. He transports messages to

every god. He’s name means

merchandise and in Greek mythology, he was known as Hermes.

He is known for wearing shoes that have wings.

Mercury

Goddess of wisdom, poetry,

medicine, commerce, crafts, magic, and music.

Daughter of Jupiter Her symbol is the owl. In Greek mythology she was

called Athena. Her festival lasted from March

19th to March 23rd. She made part of the holy triad. Her worship was recognized all

over Italy, but in Rome she was portrayed as a warlike figure.

Minerva

The goddess of

agriculture, fertility and motherly relationships.

Her main festival was Cerealia, which was held during April.

Daughter of Saturn and Ops

Her Greek equivalent is Demeter.

Ceres

Vulcan, in Greek known as Hephaestus, was

the smith god. He was the son of Jupiter and Juno, the king

and queen of the gods. He was supposed to be a beautiful baby

because of his gorgeous parents, but turned out to be the opposite.

Juno, horrified by her son’s ugliness, threw him out from Mt. Olympus and he broke his legs when landing on the land.

A sea-nymph, Thetis, found him and sheltered him in her underwater home and raised him as her own.

Vulcan

Vulcan was the blacksmith

god of fire and the one responsible for volcanoes.

His smithy is located in the volcano Etna in Sicily, Italy.

This god’s nature was related to fire.

Vulcan was worshiped at an annual festival named Volcanalia, which occurred on August 23rd .

Vulcan (continuation)

Proserpina’s Greek equivalent is Persephone. She is known for being the queen of the

Underworld, along with Pluto. Her mother was Ceres, the goddess of the Earth,

and her father was Jupiter, the king of the gods. One day, Proserpina was taken against her will to

the Underworld by her uncle Pluto, who had fallen in love with her beauty and made her his wife.

Her mother Ceres had been looking desperately for her, but couldn’t find her anywhere so she went to Jupiter to ask for his help.

They later found out she was in the Underworld and sent to look for her.

Proserpina

Pluto tricked her into eating pomegranate seeds

because for each seed she ate she had so stay a month in the Underworld; she ate six.

Jupiter ordered Pluto to release her, but because she had eaten the pomegranate seeds she had to stay with him six months and the rest of the time back at Earth with her mother.

This is the reason of Springtime; the half of the year that Proserpina is going to Earth, Ceres decorates it with flowers to welcome her daughter.

Proserpina (continuation)

Bubona is the goddess

who watches over cattle and protects it.

Bubona also protected stables full of horses along with the goddess Epona, who is the horse goddess.

She was one of the minor goddesses.

Bubona

• Jupiter or Jove was the king of the

gods, and the god of sky and thunder.

• He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon.

• To thank him for his help and to secure his continued support, the Romans offered him a white, castrated ox with gilded horns.

• Triumphal generals had to surrender the tokens of their victory at the feet of Jupiter's statue in the Capitol.

Jupiter

Known as the god of water and the sea in Roman mythology

and religion. In the Greek-influenced tradition, Neptune was the brother of

Jupiter and Pluto, each of them presiding over one of the three realms of the universe, Heaven, Earth and the Netherworld.

Greek equivalent was Poseidon. He is analogous with but not identical to the Greek god

Poseidon. Depictions of Neptune in Roman mosaics, especially those of

North Africa, are influenced by Hellenistic conventions. Associated with fresh water The primary identification of Neptune was with freshwater

springs. In charge of all the rivers, springs and waters.

Neptune

Protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn, sister (but also the wife) of

the chief god Jupiter, and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Her Greek equivalent is Hera. Central role was as a goddess of marriage. Known as the divine protectors of the community. As the patron goddess of Rome and the Roman empire

she was called Regina. Together with Jupiter and Minerva, was worshipped as a

triad on the Capitol (Juno Capitolina) in Rome. Juno's warlike aspect among the Romans is apparent in

her attire. She often appeared armed and wearing a goatskin cloak. Commonly associated with a peacock.

Juno

The Roman god of the

Underworld. He’s the equivalent to

the Greek god Hades. He’s the son of Saturn

and the brother of Jupiter, who controls the sky, and Neptune, who controls the sea.

Pluto

He is the god of the Sun. He’s also the god of music, light,

healing, and truth. Apollo is the son of Jupiter, ruler of

the sky, and the twin brother of Diana, goddess of the Moon.

The laurel is his tree, the crow is his bird, and the dolphin is his animal.

His most important task was to drive his chariot with his horses across the sky, bringing light to the earth.

Apollo

The Roman goddess of the

Moon. Diana is also the fertility

and huntress goddess. She is the equivalent to

the Greek goddess Artemis.

She’s the daughter of Jupiter, god of the sky, and the twin sister of Apollo, god of the Sun.

Diana

Bona Dea was the goddess of women, representing

chastity and fertility. She was the patron for healing and protector of the State.

Only women were accepted in these festivals which were held in early May and early December. The Temple of Bona Dea’s temple was located on a lower slope in Aventine Hill.

She is associated with serpents and healing herbs. Mostly represented with leaves wrapped around her arms or in her hair. Vine leaves and wine are also affiliated with her.

On 62 BC a politician named Clodius Pulcher disguised himself as a woman and attended the festival. He was accused of intrusion but Julius Caesar’s wife defended him, which later resulted on Julius Caesar's divorcing her. After this incident, Julius Caesar’s wife remained suspicious.

Bona Dea

They used engagement rings on the third finger of the left hand because Roman’s believed that that finger was connected directly to the heart.

The brides, like today, wore white dresses, a veil, and was accompanied by her bridesmaid. The day of the wedding the mother dressed the bride and tied the ‘’the knot of Heracles’’; because Heracles was viewed as the guardian of wedded life. The husband was the only one who could take it off.

Women and men were married at the ages of 12 thru 14. The fathers choose the husband according to his economical state and political placement.

The date of the wedding was carefully chosen to avoid bad omens. It was a custom to marry in June and forbidden to get married in February and May.

The consent of marriage had to be done publically. When the bride and groom finally got married they throw nuts as a

sign of good fortune. Divorce was not a known term. For the ceremony to be legal 10 or more people must attend.

Roman Weddings

Romans used to sacrifice incence, wine, milk, honey,

oil, plants, pigs, sheeps, goats, and some dogs. Complex rites were made on a public place were the

comunity could observe. Other sacrifices were made in the temple of the god

they were sacrificing the animal for. The animal was killed by having its throat cut. But

before it was sacrificed it had its intestines removed and inspected to ensure that the animal that was being offered was bearing a bad omen.

Sacrifices

The Romans like the Greeks

believed in life after death. They believed that the god

Mercury (messenger god) will take the soles of the dead people and carry them to the banks of the river Styx, where there, Charon will take the soles across the river to Pluto’s palace (god of the underworld, Hades).

In Pluto’s palace, the sole was judged and sent of to Elysium, Tantarus, Asphodel Fields or the fields of Punishment.

Life after Death

The Roman society was very

superstitious and believed most of the omens they saw.

Nature was viewed as the major source of omens..

Romans believed that objects or living beings could have special spiritual properties.

They believed that if they wore lucky amulets or charms would help them prevent any omens.

Omens included nightmares, bad weather, ghosts, and fire.

Roman Omens

During the Roman era,

magic was used to communicate and to please gods.

Romans made rituals in honor of the gods to get better luck in their futures.

They also used magic to destroy curses or to curse others.

Magic in Rome

Ancient Roman festival held in honor of the Saturn, also known as

Kronos or Cronus. Saturn was the youngest of the Titans, ruler of time, father of the major

gods of the Greeks and Romans. Saturn was the son of Uranos and Gaia, also he was the father of

Jupiter, Rome’s main god. Originally celebrated for a day. On December 17, its popularity saw it grow until it became a week-long

extravaganza, ending on the 23rd. Efforts to shorten the celebration were unsuccessful. Augustus tried to reduce it to three days, and Caligula to five. These attempts caused uproar and massive revolts among the Roman

citizens.

Saturnalia

This festival was created by Romulus, one of the

founders of Rome. It marks the end of the harvest. It honors Consus, the god of counsel and the harvest. He

protected the grain and the other harvested crops. During this time, animals such as horses, donkeys, and

mules were released from their work. There is a legend that belongs to this holiday: the rape of

the Sabine women. The Romans kidnapped the Sabine women and forced them to marry. This almost resulted in a war, but the women stopped this fate by agreeing to the Roman terms. According to the legend, this led the Roman population to a strong growth.

Consualia

The Lupercalia was celebrated

from  February 13th through the 15th. 

An unusual aspect of this festival was that it was not associated with a temple of a god.

This festival was held at the Palestine hill, where it is believed the wolf raised Romulos and Remus..

The purpose was to avert evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility. 

Lupercalia