1. Roman Religion
The Deities

2. Who did the Romans worship?
Roman religion was POLYTHEISTIC
Roman deities were anthropomorphic
The Romans borrowed many of their beliefs from the Greeks
The Romans worshipped a variety of deities who governed every aspect of human life

3. The Main Roman Deities
The Greeks believed in 12 Olympian gods who lived on Mount Olympus and the Romans adopted these deities as their own and changed some of their names: Gods Goddesses Jupiter Juno Mars Venus Apollo Diana Mercury Ceres Vulcan Minerva Neptune Bacchus

4. Jupiter (or Jove) King of the gods
He was in charge of the sky and the weather
The eagle, the throne and sceptre were his symbols
Had numerous children from numerous affairs

5. Juno Queen of the gods; married to her brother, Jupiter
She governed marriage and married women
Her symbol was the diadem

6. Mars
The god of War
Recognised by his armour

7. Venus The goddess of love & beauty
Often accompanied by her son Cupid (a winged boy)

8. Apollo The god of the Sun, of music, medicine, hunting and prophecy
Recognised by a bow and arrow or by a lyre
Depicted without beard and young

9. Diana The goddess of hunting, woodlands and the moon
Recognised by her bow and arrow

10. Mercury The messenger of the gods
Governed merchants, travellers and thieves
Recognised by his winged hat and boots; also carries a wand like instrument called a caduceus

11. Minerva The goddess of wisdom, crafts and warfare
Recognised by her armour
Her symbol was the owl

12. Ceres The goddess of the agriculture and the harvest
Often depicted carrying an animal’s horn filled with fruit and vegetation (the ‘horn of plenty’) or a bundle of grain

13. Vulcan The god of fire, volcanoes and blacksmiths
Often recognised by his workman outfit or tool for metalwork

14. Neptune
The god of the sea
Recognised by his trident

15. Bacchus The god of wine and dancing
Often depicted wearing animal skins, carrying a wine cup, and/or surrounded by grapes or vines
He has a group of female worshippers called bacchantes

16. The Other Main Roman Deities
The goddess of the hearth
She had a dedicated group of women who looked after the fire in her round temple in Rome called the Vestal Virgins
Vesta
The god of healing and medicine
He had a temple on the Tiber Island in Rome
Often depicted with a stick entwined with snakes
Aesculapius