The Origin of Roman Religion

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The Origin of Roman Religion
 
 
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What was the origin of Roman religion?

• Most of the Roman gods and goddesses were a blend
  of several religious influences.
• Before Rome became a big city, the area around
  it, called Latium, was settled by villagers
  (called Latins) who believed in many gods and
  spirits who were assimilated into the Roman
  Religion.
• The gods of the Etruscans who lived in what is
  modern day Tuscany also contributed to the Roman
  family of gods.
• Many were also introduced via the Greek colonies
  of southern Italy.
• In many cases the Romans found that there was a
  Latin and Greek god for one and the same thing.
  They tended to take two and make them one Vulcan
  was the old Latin god of fire, but the Greeks had
  a god called Hephaistos who was very similar but
  portrayed as a blacksmith the Romans just mixed
  the two together and made them one. However,
  statues of Vulcan usually show him as a
  blacksmith.

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What was the Pantheon?

• The Romans had hundreds of different gods.
• This entire collection of all their gods was
  called the Pantheon.

The temple in Rome called The Pantheon was
dedicated to all the major gods.
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Juppiter
Juno
He was the master of the gods and the main god
of the Romans. In his hand he held thunderbolts
which he could hurl from the sky.
She was Juppiters wife, the goddess of women,
marriage and fertility. Her symbols were a
peacock and pomegranate
Mars
Venus
He was the god of war, the strongest and most
fearsome god, except for Juppiter
She was the goddess of love and beauty
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Neptune
Minerva
She was the goddess of wisdom, learning, art
crafts and industry. Her symbol was the owl.
He was the powerful god of the sea. His symbol
was the trident
Vulcan
Ceres
He was the blacksmith of the gods And a god of
the underworld. If he stoked his furnace too
hard, volcanoes might erupt. He is also the god
of fire.
She was the goddess of the harvest, always
depicted carrying a bundle of grain
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Diana
She was the goddess of hunting and a goddess of
the moon.
Bacchus
He was the god of wine and partying. Naturally,
he was one of Romes most popular gods
Mercury
He was the messenger of the gods. The wings on
his helmet and sandals allowed him to travel
very quickly. He was the god of travellers and
tradesmen
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Isis
She was the Egyptian goddess of the earth. Her
worship entailed elaborate and exotic rituals
Apollo
He was a Greek god and the Romans adopted him
without changing his name. Although often
associated with sun, Apollo was really the god of
healing, prophecy (oracles) the arts - especially
music - and archery.
Pan
He was the Greek god of the mountains and by
extension of nature, half goat and half man. He
is always depicted carrying pipes.