Fides () was the goddess of trust,

faithfulness Faithfulness means unfailingly remaining loyal to someone or something, and putting that loyalty into consistent practice regardless of extenuating circumstances. It may be exhibited, for example, by a husband or wife who does not engage in se ...

, and

good faith In human interactions, good faith () is a sincere intention to be fair, open, and honest, regardless of the outcome of the interaction. Some Latin phrases have lost their literal meaning over centuries, but that is not the case with , which i ...

('' bona fides'') in

ancient Roman religion Religion in ancient Rome consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the Roman people, people of Rome as well as those who were brought under its rule. The Romans thought of themselves as high ...

. Fides was one of the original virtues to be cultivated as a divinity with ceremonies and temples. Fides embodies everything that is required for "honour and credibility, from fidelity in marriage, to contractual arrangements, and the obligation soldiers owed to Rome." Fides also means reliability, "reliability between two parties, which is always reciprocal." and "bedrock of relations between people and their communities", and then it was turned into a Roman deity and from which we gain the English word, '

fidelity Fidelity is the quality of faithfulness or loyalty. Its original meaning regarded duty in a broader sense than the related concept of '' fealty''. Both derive from the Latin word , meaning "faithful or loyal". In the City of London financial m ...

'. Under the name ''Fides Publica Populi Romani'' ("Public Trust of the Roman People"), she may be exemplified in Marcus Atilius Regulus, "who refuses to save himself at the expense of the

Republic A republic, based on the Latin phrase ''res publica'' ('public affair' or 'people's affair'), is a State (polity), state in which Power (social and political), political power rests with the public (people), typically through their Representat ...

. Regulus defied his own best interests for those of his country. In this act alone, he acted with fides."

Iconography

Fides is represented as a young woman crowned with an olive or

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

, holding in her hand a turtle-dove, fruits or grain, or a military ensign. She wears a white veil.

Temple and ceremonies

The Temple of Fides on the Capitoline Hill was associated with the ''Fides Publica'' or ''Fides Publica Populi Romani''.L. Richardson, Jr., ''A New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome'' (Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992). Dedicated by Aulus Atilius Calatinus, and restored by Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, the structure was surrounded by a display of

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

tables of laws and treaties, and was occasionally used for

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

meetings. According to tradition, Rome's second king,

Numa Pompilius Numa Pompilius (; 753–672 BC; reigned 715–672 BC) was the Roman mythology, legendary second king of Rome, succeeding Romulus after a one-year interregnum. He was of Sabine origin, and many of Rome's most important religious and political ins ...

, instituted a yearly ceremony on 1 October devoted to Fides Publica, in which the three '' flamines maiores'' (major priests)—the Dialis, Martialis, and Quirinalis—were to be borne to her temple in a covered arched chariot drawn by two horses. There they should conduct her services with their heads covered and right hands wrapped up to the fingers to indicate absolute devotion to her and to symbolise trust.

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

, ''

Ab urbe condita ''Ab urbe condita'' (; 'from the founding of Rome, founding of the City'), or (; 'in the year since the city's founding'), abbreviated as AUC or AVC, expresses a date in years since 753 BC, 753 BC, the traditional founding of Rome. It is ...

'', 1:21

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fides (deity) Personifications in Roman mythology Ancient Roman virtues Roman goddesses

Iconography

Temple and ceremonies

See also

References