In
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans, and is a form of Roman folklore. "Roman mythology" may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to th ...
, the goddess Domiduca protects children on the way back to their parents' home. Her male counterpart was Domitius, Domidius or Domiducus, from ''
domus
In ancient Rome, the ''domus'' (: ''domūs'', genitive: ''domūs'' or ''domī'') was the type of town house occupied by the upper classes and some wealthy freedmen during the Republican and Imperial eras. It was found in almost all the ma ...
'', "house," and ''eo, ire, itum'', "to go."
Domiduca and Domiducus were also marriage gods who accompanied the bridal procession as the couple arrived at their new home together on the wedding night. The names occur as epithets of
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the List of Solar System objects by size, largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a Jupiter mass, mass more than 2.5 times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined a ...
and
Juno
Juno commonly refers to:
*Juno (mythology), the Roman goddess of marriage and queen of the gods
* ''Juno'' (film), the 2007 film
Juno may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional characters
*Juno, a character in the book ''Juno of ...
. When the bride has been led home, "the god ''Domitius'' is employed to install her in her house."
[St Augustine (trans. R. W. Dyson) ''The City of God against the pagans'', Cambridge Texts in the History of Political Thought, 1998]
pp. 258, 1198.
/ref>
See also
* List of Roman birth and childhood deities
In ancient Roman religion, birth and childhood deities were thought to care for every aspect of conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and child development. Some major deities of Roman religion had a specialized function they contributed to this ...
References
Roman deities
Childhood goddesses
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