Mythology
Mythology
Roman Gods
The Romans adopted much of Greek Mythology into their own. They took most all of the Greek gods, gave them Roman names, and then called them their own. Here are a few of major Roman gods that came from the Greeks:
- Jupiter - Came from the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter was the king of the gods and god of thunder and lighting. He was the Patron God of Rome.
- Juno - Juno was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Hera. Juno was Jupiter's wife and queen of the gods. Juno was considered the protector of Rome.
- Mars - Mars came from the Greek god Area. Mars was the god of war and Jupiter and Juno's son.
- Mercury - Mercury was the equivalent of the Greek god Hermes. He was the god of trade.
- Neptune - Neptune came from the Greek god Poseidon. He was the god of the sea and brother to Jupiter. He also was the patron of horses. Neptune's weapon was a great trident.
- Venus - Venus was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was the god of love and beauty.
- Apollo - Apollo was taken directly from Greek god Apollo. He was the god of music, poetry, and archery. His twin sister was Diana.
- Diana - Diana was taken from the Greek goddess Artemis. She was goddess of the hunt, archery, and animals. Her symbols included the moon, the snake, and the bow and arrow.
- Minerva - Minerva comes from the Greek goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom.
- Ceres - Ceres was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter. She was goddess of agriculture and the seasons. It's from the name Ceres that we get the name for cereal.
- Vulcan - Vulcan comes from the Greek god Hephaestus. He was the blacksmith for the rest of the gods and was god of fire. The word volcano comes from the name Vulcan.
- Bacchus - Bacchus comes from the Greek god Dionysus. He was god of wine and the theatre. He was the youngest of the major gods and the only one born to a mortal.
- Vesta - Vesta comes from the Greek goddess Hestia. She was the Goddess of the hearth.
- Pluto - Pluto's Greek equivalent is Hades. Pluto is the god of the underworld and the dead and riches underneath the earth while Hades is just the god of the underworld and the dead.
Romulus and Remus
The city of Alba Longs was ruled by King Numitor. His wicked brother Amulius overthrew him to become king. Numitor's daughter married Mars and had twin sons. Amulius ordered to twins to drowned. Instead a servant set them afloat in a cradle. A she-wolf called Lupa fed the boys. A shepherd found and raised the boys. When they grew up they wanted revenge. They attacked the city of Alba Longa, killed Amulius, and restored the throne to Numitor. The boys decided to build their own city - having a competition to see who would decide where - Remus won. Romulus disagreed and built a city surrounded by a wall. Remus criticized the city so Romulus killed him. Romulus then finished building the city and named the city after himself - Rome.