Roman gods and goddesses

The Romans prayed to hundreds of different
gods. Everyone made sacrifices in the temple
or their home to keep the gods happy. Each
god looked after one aspect of people’s lives.
Other gods important in the home were
the family spirits (lares) and store
cupboard spirits (penates).
The Lararium altar is the sacred place
of the home where offerings and prayers
were made to the gods everyday.
The main Lararium altar was usually in
the Atrium -front reception room, near
the front door or located near the hearth.
All the designs have snakes on them as snakes were
considered to be guardian spirits of the family.
Jupiter 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. Thursday is his day.
She was the wife of Jupiter, Queen of the Gods
and the goddess of women.
Her symbols were a pomegranate and a peacock.
He was the God of War. The strongest and
most fearsome God, except for Jupiter.
Tuesday is his day.
Venus was the Goddess of love and beauty.
Friday is her day.
She was the Goddess of wisdom,
learning, art, crafts and industry.
Her symbol was an owl.
Neptune was the powerful god of the sea.
His symbol was the trident.
She was the Goddess of the harvest, always shown
carrying a bundle of grain. The word cereal comes
from her name.
Vulcan was the blacksmith of the gods and a god of the
underworld. If he stoked his furnace too hard volcanoes might
erupt. He was the god of blacksmiths and volcanoes.
Diana was the Goddess of hunting and the moon.
Mercury was the messenger of the Gods, the wings on his
helmet and sandals allowed him to travel very quickly to
wherever a god might send him. He was the God of
travellers and tradesmen.
Vesta was the goddess of the hearth and home and was very
important to the Romans. In her temple a flame was always
kept burning as in “the hearth of Rome”
Apollo was the god of music, healing, light and truth.
He moved the sun across the sky. Sunday is his day.
Cupid is the god of love.
Pluto was the god of the dead.
Cerberus was his dog to guard the
underworld
Saturn was god of agriculture and harvest time.
He held a sickle in his left hand and a bundle of
wheat in his right. Saturday was his day.