The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts, integrating Greek myths,

iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

, and sometimes religious practices into

Roman culture The culture of ancient Rome existed throughout the almost 1,200-year history of the civilization of Ancient Rome. The term refers to the culture of the Roman Republic, later the Roman Empire, which at its peak covered an area from present-day L ...

, including

Latin literature Latin literature includes the essays, histories, poems, plays, and other writings written in the Latin language. The beginning of formal Latin literature dates to 240 BC, when the first stage play in Latin was performed in Rome. Latin literatur ...

Roman art The art of Ancient Rome, and the territories of its Republic and later Empire, includes architecture, painting, sculpture and mosaic work. Luxury objects in metal-work, gem engraving, ivory carvings, and glass are sometimes considered to be m ...

, and

religious life Consecrated life (also known as religious life) is a state of life in the Catholic Church lived by those faithful who are called to follow Jesus Christ in a more exacting way. It includes those in institutes of consecrated life (religious and sec ...

as it was experienced throughout the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

. Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and sometimes function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary. This is particularly true of those gods belonging to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the era of kings, the so-called "religion of

Numa Numa or NUMA may refer to: * Non-uniform memory access (NUMA), in computing Places * Numa Falls, a waterfall in Kootenay National Park, Canada * 15854 Numa, a main-belt asteroid United States * Numa, Indiana * Numa, Iowa * Numa, Oklahoma * ...

", which was perpetuated or revived over the centuries. Some archaic deities have Italic or Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the

provinces A province is an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outside Italy. The term ''provi ...

were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities. A survey of theological groups as constructed by the Romans themselves is followed by an extensive alphabetical list concluding with examples of common epithets shared by multiple divinities.

Collectives

Even in invocations, which generally required precise naming, the Romans sometimes spoke of gods as groups or collectives rather than naming them as individuals. Some groups, such as the Camenae and

Parcae In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion and Roman mythology, myth, the Parcae (singular, Parca) were the female personifications of destiny who directed the lives (and deaths) of humans and gods. They are often called the Fates in En ...

, were thought of as a limited number of individual deities, even though the number of these might not be given consistently in all periods and all texts. Others are numberless collectives.

Spatial tripartition

Varro Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 BCE) was a Roman polymath and a prolific author. He is regarded as ancient Rome's greatest scholar, and was described by Petrarch as "the third great light of Rome" (after Virgil and Cicero). He is sometimes call ...

grouped the gods broadly into three divisions of heaven, earth, and underworld: * ''di superi'', the gods above or heavenly gods, whose altars were designated as ''altaria''. * ''di terrestres'', "terrestrial gods," whose altars were designated as '' arae.'' * ''

di inferi The ''di inferi'' or ''dii inferi'' (Latin, "the gods below") were a shadowy collective of ancient Roman deities associated with death and the underworld. The epithet ''inferi'' is also given to the mysterious Manes, a collective of ancestral spi ...

'', the gods below, that is, the gods of the underworld, infernal or

chthonic In Greek mythology, deities referred to as chthonic () or chthonian () were gods or spirits who inhabited the underworld or existed in or under the earth, and were typically associated with death or fertility. The terms "chthonic" and "chthonian" ...

gods, whose altars were ''foci'',

fire pit The defining feature of fire pits is that they are designed to contain fire and prevent it from spreading. A fire pit can vary from a pit dug in the ground (fire hole) to an elaborate gas burning structure of stone, brick, and metal. Certain cont ...

s or specially constructed hearths. More common is a dualistic contrast between ''superi'' and ''inferi''.

Triads

Archaic Triad The Archaic Triad is a hypothetical divine triad, consisting of the three allegedly original deities worshipped on the Capitoline Hill in Rome: Jupiter (mythology), Jupiter, Mars (mythology), Mars and Quirinus. This structure was no longer clearly ...

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 ...

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is also known as the "Red Planet", because of its orange-red appearance. Mars is a desert-like rocky planet with a tenuous carbon dioxide () atmosphere. At the average surface level the atmosph ...

Quirinus In Roman mythology and Roman religion, religion, Quirinus ( , ) is an early god of the Ancient Rome, Roman state. In Augustus, Augustan Rome, ''Quirinus'' was also an epithet of Janus, Mars (mythology), Mars, and Jupiter (god), Jupiter. Name ...

. *

Capitoline Triad The Capitoline Triad was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome's Capitoline Hill (Latin ''Capitolium''). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in th ...

: Jupiter, Juno,

Minerva Minerva (; ; ) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. She is also a goddess of warfare, though with a focus on strategic warfare, rather than the violence of gods such as Mars. Be ...

. * Plebeian or Aventine Triad: Ceres,

Liber In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion and Roman mythology, mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron de ...

, Libera, dating to 493 BC.

Groupings of twelve

Lectisternium of 217 BC

lectisternium The lectisternium was an ancient Roman propitiatory ceremony, consisting of a meal offered to gods and goddesses. The word derives from ''lectum sternere'', "to spread (or "drape") a couch." The deities were represented by their busts or statu ...

is a banquet for the gods, at which they appear as images seated on couches, as if present and participating. In describing the lectisternium of the Twelve Great gods in 217 BC, the Augustan

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

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 ...

places the deities in gender-balanced pairs: *

– Juno *

Neptune Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is the List of Solar System objects by size, fourth-largest planet in the Solar System by diameter, the third-most-massive planet, and the densest giant planet. It is 17 t ...

–

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is often called Earth's "twin" or "sister" planet for having almost the same size and mass, and the closest orbit to Earth's. While both are rocky planets, Venus has an atmosphere much thicker ...

Apollo Apollo is one of the Twelve Olympians, Olympian deities in Ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek and Ancient Roman religion, Roman religion and Greek mythology, Greek and Roman mythology. Apollo has been recognized as a god of archery, mu ...

– Diana * Vulcan– Vesta * Mercury– Ceres Divine male-female complements such as these, as well as the

anthropomorphic Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics to ...

influence of Greek mythology, contributed to a tendency in Latin literature to represent the gods as "married" couples or (as in the case of Venus and Mars) lovers. Altar twelve gods Louvre Ma666

''Dii Consentes''

uses the name ''

Dii Consentes The ''Dii Consentes'', also known as ''Di'' or ''Dei Consentes'' (once ''Dii Complices''), or ''The Harmonious Gods'', is an ancient list of twelve major deities, six gods and six goddesses, in the pantheon of Ancient Rome. Their gilt statues ...

'' for twelve deities whose gilded images stood in the forum. These were also placed in six male-female pairs. Although individual names are not listed, they are assumed to be the deities of the lectisternium. A fragment from

Ennius Quintus Ennius (; ) was a writer and poet who lived during the Roman Republic. He is often considered the father of Roman poetry. He was born in the small town of Rudiae, located near modern Lecce (ancient ''Calabria'', today Salento), a town ...

, within whose lifetime the lectisternium occurred, lists the same twelve deities by name, though in a different order from that of Livy: ''Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Jove, Neptunus, Vulcanus, Apollo.'' The ''Dii Consentes'' are sometimes seen as the Roman equivalent of the Greek Olympians. The meaning of ''Consentes'' is subject to interpretation, but is usually taken to mean that they form a council or consensus of deities.

''Di Flaminales''

The three deities cultivated by the major flamens were: *

The twelve deities attended by the minor flamens were: * Carmentis * Ceres *

Falacer Falacer, or more fully ''dīvus pater falacer'', was an ancient Italic god, according to Varro. Hartung is inclined to consider him an epithet of Jupiter, since ''falandum'', according to Festus, was the Etruscan name for "heaven." Although h ...

Flora Flora (: floras or florae) is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. The corresponding term for animals is ''fauna'', and for f ...

* Furrina *

Palatua Palatua was a Roman goddess who was provided an official priest or flamen, the ''Flamen Palatualis''. She was the guardian deity of the southern peak of the Palatine Hill. Aside from this little else is known about her, and it is a safe assump ...

* Pomona * Portunus * Vulcan *

Volturnus In Roman mythology, Volturnus was a god of the Tiber, and may have been the god of all rivers. He had his own minor flamen, a high priest, the '' Flamen Volturnalis''. His festival, '' Volturnalia'', was held on August 27. Culture Although he wa ...

*two other deities whose names are not known

''Di selecti''

Varro gives a list of twenty principal gods of Roman religion: *

Janus In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus ( ; ) is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. He is usually depicted as having two faces. The month of January is named for Janus (''Ianu ...

Saturn Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun and the second largest in the Solar System, after Jupiter. It is a gas giant, with an average radius of about 9 times that of Earth. It has an eighth the average density of Earth, but is over 95 tim ...

Genius Genius is a characteristic of original and exceptional insight in the performance of some art or endeavor that surpasses expectations, sets new standards for the future, establishes better methods of operation, or remains outside the capabiliti ...

* Mercury *

* Vulcan *

* Sol *

Orcus Orcus was a god of the underworld, punisher of broken oaths in Etruscan and Roman mythology. As with Hades, the name of the god was also used for the underworld itself. Eventually, he was conflated with Dis Pater and Pluto. A temple to Orcus ma ...

* Tellus * Ceres * Juno *

Luna Luna commonly refers to: * Earth's Moon, named "Luna" in Latin, Spanish and other languages * Luna (goddess) In Sabine and ancient Roman religion and myth, Luna is the divine embodiment of the Moon (Latin ''Lūna'' ). She is often presented as t ...

* Diana *

* Vesta

Sabine gods

Varro, who was himself of

Sabine The Sabines (, , , ; ) were an Italic people who lived in the central Apennine Mountains (see Sabina) of the ancient Italian Peninsula, also inhabiting Latium north of the Anio before the founding of Rome. The Sabines divided int ...

origin, gives a list of Sabine gods who were adopted by the Romans: *

Feronia Feronia may mean: * Feronia (mythology), a goddess of fertility in Roman and Etruscan mythology * Feronia (plant), ''Feronia'' (plant), a genus of plants * Feronia Inc., a plantations company operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo * Fero ...

* Novensides * Pales * Salus *

Fortuna Fortuna (, equivalent to the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Tyche) is the goddess of fortune and the personification of luck in Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion who, largely thanks to the Late Antique author Boethius, remained popular thr ...

* Fons * Fides * Ops *

* Vediovis *

* Sol *

* Vulcan *

Summanus Summanus () was the god of nocturnal thunder in ancient Roman religion, as counterposed to Jupiter, the god of diurnal (daylight) thunder. His precise nature was unclear even to Ovid. Pliny thought that he was of Etruscan origin, and one of t ...

* Larunda * Terminus *

* Vortumnus *

Lares Lares ( , ; archaic , singular ) were Tutelary deity#Ancient Rome, guardian deities in ancient Roman religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been hero-ancestors, guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries, or fruitfulness, or an ama ...

* Diana * Lucina Livia statue

Elsewhere, Varro claims Sol Indiges – who had a

sacred grove Sacred groves, sacred woods, or sacred forests are groves of trees that have special religious importance within a particular culture. Sacred groves feature in various cultures throughout the world. These are forest areas that are, for the most ...

Lavinium Lavinium was a port city of Latium, to the south of Rome, midway between the Tiber river at Ostia Antica, Ostia and Antium. The coastline then, as now, was a long strip of beach. Lavinium was on a hill at the southernmost edge of the ''Silva La ...

– as Sabine but at the same time equates him with

. Of those listed, he writes, "several names have their roots in both languages, as trees that grow on a property line creep into both fields. Saturn, for instance, can be said to have another origin here, and so too Diana." Varro makes various claims for Sabine origins throughout his works, some more plausible than others, and his list should not be taken at face value. But the importance of the Sabines in the early cultural formation of Rome is evidenced, for instance, by the bride abduction of the Sabine women by

Romulus Romulus (, ) was the legendary founder and first king of Rome. Various traditions attribute the establishment of many of Rome's oldest legal, political, religious, and social institutions to Romulus and his contemporaries. Although many of th ...

's men, and in the Sabine ethnicity of

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 ...

, second

king of Rome The king of Rome () was the ruler of the Roman Kingdom, a legendary period of Roman history that functioned as an elective monarchy. According to legend, the first king of Rome was Romulus, who founded the city in 753 BC upon the Palatine H ...

, to whom are attributed many of Rome's religious and legal institutions. Varro says that the altars to most of these gods were established at Rome by King Tatius as the result of a vow ('' votum'').

''Indigitamenta''

The ''indigitamenta'' are deities known only or primarily as a name; they may be minor entities, or epithets of major gods. Lists of deities were kept by the

College of Pontiffs The College of Pontiffs (; see ''collegium'') was a body of the ancient Rome, ancient Roman state whose members were the highest-ranking priests of the Religion in ancient Rome, state religion. The college consisted of the ''pontifex maximus'' an ...

to assure that the correct names were invoked for public prayers. The books of the Pontiffs are lost, known only through scattered passages in

. The most extensive lists are provided by the

Church Fathers The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical peri ...

who sought systematically to debunk Roman religion while drawing on the theological works of Varro, also surviving only in quoted or referenced fragments. W.H. Roscher collated the standard modern list of ''indigitamenta'', though other scholars may differ with him on some points.

''Di indigetes'' and ''novensiles''

The '' di indigetes'' were thought by

Georg Wissowa Georg Otto August Wissowa (17 June 1859 – 11 May 1931) was a German classical philologist born in Neudorf, near Breslau. Education and career Wissowa studied classical philology under August Reifferscheid at the University of Bresl ...

to be Rome's indigenous deities, in contrast to the ''di novensides'' or ''novensiles'', "newcomer gods". No ancient source, however, poses this dichotomy, which is not generally accepted among scholars of the 21st century. The meaning of the epithet ''indiges'' (singular) has no scholarly consensus, and ''noven'' may mean "nine" ''(novem)'' rather than "new".

Alphabetical list

A

Abundantia In ancient Roman religion, Abundantia (), also called Copia, was a divine personification of abundance and prosperity; *abundantia* means "abundance" in Latin. She helped protect savings and investments, and assisted with major purchases. She was ...

, divine personification of abundance and prosperity. * Acca Larentia, a ''

diva Diva (, ) is the Latin word for a goddess. Diva is a name from Roman mythology, and is associated with the nouns divus, diva, which means god, goddess, and the adjective divinius, which means divine or heavenly. It has often been used to refer t ...

'' of complex meaning and origin in whose honor the

Larentalia The Roman festival of Larentalia was held on 23 December but was ordered to be observed twice a year by Augustus; by some supposed to be in honour of the Lares, a kind of domestic ''genii'', or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed the gua ...

was held. *

Acis The 3D ACIS Modeler (ACIS) is a geometric modeling kernel developed by Spatial Corporation (formerly Spatial Technology), part of Dassault Systèmes. ACIS is used by software developers in industries such as computer-aided design, computer-ai ...

, god of the Acis River in Sicily. * Aerecura, goddess possibly of

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

origin, associated with the underworld and identified with

Proserpina Proserpina ( ; ) or Proserpine ( ) is an ancient Roman goddess whose iconography, functions and myths are virtually identical to those of Greek Persephone. Proserpina replaced or was combined with the ancient Roman fertility goddess Libera, whos ...

. * Aequitas, divine personification of fairness. * Aesculapius, the Roman equivalent of Asclepius, god of health and medicine. * Aeternitas, goddess and personification of eternity. * Agenoria, goddess and personification of activity. * Aion (Latin spelling Aeon), Hellenistic god of cyclical or unbounded time, related to the concepts of '' aevum'' or '' saeculum'' *

Aius Locutius Aius Locutius (, spoken affirmation), or Aius Loquens (, speaking affirmation), was a Roman deity or numen Numen (plural numina) is a Latin term for "divinity", "divine presence", or "divine will". The Latin authors defined it as follows:For ...

, divine voice that warned the Romans of the imminent Gallic invasion. * Alernus or Elernus (possibly Helernus), an archaic god whose sacred grove ''(

lucus In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion, a ''lucus'' (, plural ''lucī'') is a sacred grove. was one of four Latin words meaning in general "forest, woodland, grove" (along with , , and ), but unlike the others it was primarily us ...

)'' was near the

Tiber river The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

. He is named definitively only by

Ovid Publius Ovidius Naso (; 20 March 43 BC – AD 17/18), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Augustan literature (ancient Rome), Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a younger contemporary of Virgil and Horace, with whom he i ...

. The grove was the birthplace of the nymph

Cardea Cardea or Carda was the ancient Roman goddess of the hinge (Latin ''cardo, cardinis''), Roman doors being hung on pivot hinges. The Augustan poet Ovid conflates her with another archaic goddess named Carna, whose festival was celebrated on the ...

, and despite the obscurity of the god, the state priests still carried out sacred rites ''( sacra)'' there in the time of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

. Alernus may have been a

god, if a black ox was the correct sacrificial offering to him, since dark victims were offered to underworld gods. Dumézil wanted to make him a god of beans. *

Angerona In Religion in ancient Rome, Roman religion, Angerona or Angeronia was an old Roman goddess, whose name and functions are variously explained. She is sometimes identified with the goddess Feronia (mythology), Feronia. Description According to a ...

, goddess who relieved people from pain and sorrow. *

Angitia Angitia was a List of Roman deities, goddess among the Marsi, the Paeligni and other Osco-Umbrian languages, Oscan-Umbrian peoples of central Italy. She was associated in antiquity with snake-charmers who claimed her as their ancestor. Roman myth ...

, goddess associated with snakes and

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

. *

Anna Perenna Anna Perenna was an old Roman deity of the circle or "ring" of the year, as indicated by the name (''per annum''). Festival Anna Perenna's festival fell on the Ides of March (March 15), which would have marked the first full moon in the year in ...

, early goddess of the " circle of the year", her festival was celebrated March 15. * Annona, the divine personification of the grain supply to the city of Rome. * Antevorta, goddess of the future and one of the Camenae; also called Porrima. *

, god of poetry, music, and oracles, and one of the ''

''. * Arimanius, an obscure Mithraic god. * Aura, often plural ''Aurae'', "the Breezes". *

Aurora An aurora ( aurorae or auroras), also commonly known as the northern lights (aurora borealis) or southern lights (aurora australis), is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly observed in high-latitude regions (around the Arc ...

, goddess of the dawn. * Averruncus, a god propitiated to avert calamity.

B

Bacchus In ancient Greek religion and myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ) by the Gre ...

, god of wine, sensual pleasures, and truth, originally a cult title for the Greek

Dionysus In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, Dionysus (; ) is the god of wine-making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, festivity, insanity, ritual madness, religious ecstasy, and theatre. He was also known as Bacchus ( or ; ...

and identified with the Roman

. * Bellona or Duellona, war goddess. *

Bona Dea Bona Dea (; 'Good Goddess') was a List of Roman deities, goddess in Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion. She was associated with chastity and fertility among married Women in ancient Rome, Roman women, healing, and the protection of t ...

, the "women's goddess" with functions pertaining to fertility, healing, and chastity. *

Bonus Eventus Bonus Eventus ("Good Outcome") was a divine personification in ancient Roman religion. The Late Republican scholar Varro lists him as one of the twelve deities who presided over agriculture, paired with Lympha, the goddess who influenced the water ...

, divine personification of "Good Outcome". * Bubona, goddess of cattle.

C

* Caca, an archaic fire goddess and "proto- Vesta"; the sister of Cacus. *

Cacus In Greek and Roman mythology, Cacus (, derived from κακός, meaning bad) was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan (Plutarch called him son of Hephaestus). He was killed by Hercules after terrorizing the Aventine Hill before the foun ...

, originally an ancient god of fire, later regarded as a giant. *

Caelus Caelus or Coelus (; ) was a primordial List of Roman deities, god of the sky in Roman mythology and Religion in ancient Rome, theology, Roman art, iconography, and Latin literature, literature (compare 'sky', 'heaven', whence English ''celestia ...

, god of the sky before Jupiter. * Camenae, goddesses with various attributes including fresh water, prophecy, and childbirth. There were four of them: Carmenta, Egeria, Antevorta, and Postvorta. *

, goddess of the hinge ''(

cardo A ''cardo'' (: ''cardines'') was a north–south street in Ancient Rome, ancient Roman cities and military castra, camps as an integral component of Urban planning, city planning. The ''cardo maximus'', or most often the ''cardo'', was the main ...

)'', identified by

with Carna (below) * Carmenta, goddess of childbirth and prophecy, and assigned a flamen minor. The leader of the Camenae. * Carmentes, two goddesses of childbirth: Antevorta and Postvorta or Porrima, future and past. * Carna, goddess who preserved the health of the heart and other internal organs. * Ceres, goddess of the harvest and mother of

, and one of the

. The Roman equivalent of Demeter reek goddess * Clementia, goddess of forgiveness and mercy. * Cloacina, goddess who presided over the system of sewers in Rome; identified with Venus. * Concordia, goddess of agreement, understanding, and marital harmony. *

Consus In ancient Roman religion, the god Consus was the protector of grains. He was represented by a grain seed. His altar ''( ara)'' was located at the first ''meta'' of the Circus Maximus. It was either underground, or according to other sources, co ...

, chthonic god protecting grain storage. *

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid ( , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the god of war Mars. He is also known as Amor (Latin: ...

, Roman god of love. The son of Venus, and equivalent to Greek

Eros Eros (, ; ) is the Greek god of love and sex. The Romans referred to him as Cupid or Amor. In the earliest account, he is a primordial god, while in later accounts he is the child of Aphrodite. He is usually presented as a handsome young ma ...

. * Cura, personification of care and concern who according to a single source created humans from clay. *

Cybele Cybele ( ; Phrygian: ''Matar Kubileya, Kubeleya'' "Kubeleya Mother", perhaps "Mountain Mother"; Lydian: ''Kuvava''; ''Kybélē'', ''Kybēbē'', ''Kybelis'') is an Anatolian mother goddess; she may have a possible forerunner in the earliest ...

, an imported tutelary goddess often identified with Magna Mater

D

* Dea Dia, goddess of growth. * Dea Tacita ("The Silent Goddess"), a goddess of the dead; later equated with the earth goddess Larenta. *Dea Tertiana and Dea Quartana, the sister goddesses of tertian and quartan fevers. Presumably daughters or sisters of Dea Febris. * Decima, minor goddess and one of the

(Roman equivalent of the

Moirai In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Moirai ()often known in English as the Fateswere the personifications of fate, destiny. They were three sisters: Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (mythology), Lachesis (the allotter ...

). The measurer of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was

Lachesis Lachesis ( ; ; from , 'to obtain by lot, by fate, or by the will of the gods'), in ancient Greek religion, was the middle of the Three Fates, or Moirai; the others were her sisters, Clotho and Atropos. Normally seen clothed in white, Laches ...

* Devera or Deverra, goddess who ruled over the brooms used to purify temples in preparation for various worship services, sacrifices and celebrations; she protected midwives and women in labor. * Diana, goddess of the hunt, the moon, virginity, and childbirth, twin sister of Apollo and one of the

. * Diana Nemorensis, local version of Diana. The Roman equivalent of

Artemis In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...

reek goddess* Discordia, personification of discord and strife. The Roman equivalent of Eris reek goddess* Dius Fidius, god of oaths, associated with

. *

Di inferi The ''di inferi'' or ''dii inferi'' (Latin, "the gods below") were a shadowy collective of ancient Roman deities associated with death and the underworld. The epithet ''inferi'' is also given to the mysterious Manes, a collective of ancestral spi ...

, deities associated with death and the underworld. * Disciplina, personification of discipline. *

Dis Pater Dis Pater (; ; genitive ''Ditis Patris''), otherwise known as Rex Infernus or Pluto, is a Roman god of the underworld. Dis was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth, and since those minerals came from undergrou ...

or Dispater, god of wealth and the underworld; perhaps a translation of Greek ''Plouton'' (

Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of Trans-Neptunian object, bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Su ...

E

* Egeria, water nymph or goddess, later considered one of the Camenae. * Empanda or Panda, a goddess whose temple never closed to those in need. *

Epona In Gallo-Roman religion, Epona was a protector of horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. She was particularly a goddess of fertility, as shown by her attributes of a patera, cornucopia, ears of grain, and the presence of foals in some sculpture ...

Gallo-Roman Gallo-Roman culture was a consequence of the Romanization (cultural), Romanization of Gauls under the rule of the Roman Empire in Roman Gaul. It was characterized by the Gaulish adoption or adaptation of Roman culture, Roman culture, language ...

goddess of horses and horsemanship, usually assumed to be of Celtic origin.

F

, obscure god. He was assigned a minor flamen. * Fama, goddess of fame and rumor. * Fascinus,

phallic A phallus (: phalli or phalluses) is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history, a figure with an erect penis is described as ''ithyphallic''. Any object that symbo ...

god who protected from '' invidia'' (envy) and the

evil eye The evil eye is a supernatural belief in a curse brought about by a malevolent glaring, glare, usually inspired by envy. Amulets to Apotropaic, protect against it have been found dating to around 5,000 years ago. It is found in many cultures i ...

. *

Fauna Fauna (: faunae or faunas) is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding terms for plants and fungi are ''flora'' and '' funga'', respectively. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively ...

, goddess of prophecy, but perhaps a title of other goddesses such as Maia. *

Faunus In Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion and Roman mythology, myth, Faunus was the rustic god of the forest, plains and fields; when he made cattle fertile, he was called Inuus. He came to be equated in literature with the Greek god ...

, god of flocks. * Faustitas, goddess who protected herd and livestock. * Febris, goddess of fevers with the power to cause or prevent fevers and malaria. Accompanied by Dea Tertiana and Dea Quartiana. *

Februus Februus is an ancient Italic god of purifications, who was worshipped by both the Romans and Etruscans. He was also worshipped as the god of the underworld by the Etruscans. For them, Februus was also the god of riches (money and gold) and death, ...

, god of Etruscan origin for whom the month of February was named; concerned with purification * Fecunditas, personification of fertility. *

Felicitas In ancient Roman culture, ''felicitas'' (from the Latin adjective ''felix'', "fruitful, blessed, happy, lucky") is a condition of divinely inspired productivity, blessedness, or happiness. ''Felicitas'' could encompass both a woman's fertility ...

, personification of good luck and success. * Ferentina, patron goddess of the city Ferentinum, Latium, protector of the Latin commonwealth. *

, goddess concerned with wilderness, plebeians, freedmen, and liberty in a general sense. She was also an Underworld goddess. * Fides, personification of loyalty. *

, goddess of flowers, was assigned a flamen minor. *

Fornax Fornax () is a constellation in the southern celestial hemisphere, partly ringed by the celestial river Eridanus (constellation), Eridanus. Its name is Latin for furnace. It was named by French astronomer Nicolas Louis de Lacaille in 1756. Forna ...

, goddess probably conceived of to explain the Fornacalia, "Oven Festival." *

Fontus Fontus or Fons (: ''Fontes'', "Font" or "Source") was a god of wells and springs in Religion in ancient Rome, ancient Roman religion. A Roman festivals, religious festival called the Fontinalia was held on October 13 in his honor. Throughout the ...

or Fons, god of wells and springs. *

, goddess of fortune. * Fufluns, god of wine, natural growth and health. He was adopted from Etruscan religion. * Fulgora, personification of lightning. * Furrina, goddess whose functions are mostly unknown, but in archaic times important enough to be assigned a

flamen A (plural ''flamines'') was a priest of the ancient Roman religion who was assigned to one of fifteen deities with official cults during the Roman Republic. The most important of these were the three (or "major priests"), who served the importa ...

G

, the tutelary spirit or divinity of each individual * Gratiae, Roman term for the Charites or Graces.

H

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

, god of strength, whose worship was derived from the Greek hero

Heracles Heracles ( ; ), born Alcaeus (, ''Alkaios'') or Alcides (, ''Alkeidēs''), was a Divinity, divine hero in Greek mythology, the son of ZeusApollodorus1.9.16/ref> and Alcmene, and the foster son of Amphitryon.By his adoptive descent through ...

but took on a distinctly Roman character. *

Hermaphroditus In Greek mythology, Hermaphroditus (; , ) was a child of Aphrodite and Hermes. According to Ovid, he was born a remarkably beautiful boy whom the naiad Salmacis attempted to rape and prayed to be united with forever. A god, in answer to her pra ...

, an androgynous Greek god whose mythology was imported into Latin literature. * Honos, a divine personification of

honor Honour ( Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself as a code of conduct, and has various elements such as val ...

. * Hora, the wife of

I

* Indiges, the deified

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas ( , ; from ) was a Troy, Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus (mythology), Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy ...

. * Intercidona, minor goddess of childbirth; invoked to keep evil spirits away from the child; symbolised by a cleaver. *

Inuus 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 t ...

, god of fertility and sexual intercourse, protector of livestock. * Invidia, goddess of envy and wrongdoing.

J

, double-faced or two-headed god of beginnings and endings and of doors. * Juno, Queen of the gods, goddess of matrimony, and one of the

. Equivalent to Greek

Hera In ancient Greek religion, Hera (; ; in Ionic Greek, Ionic and Homeric Greek) is the goddess of marriage, women, and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she is queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Oly ...

. *

, King of the gods, god of storms, lightning, sky, and one of the

; was assigned a flamen maior. Equivalent to Greek

Zeus Zeus (, ) is the chief deity of the List of Greek deities, Greek pantheon. He is a sky father, sky and thunder god in ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, who rules as king of the gods on Mount Olympus. Zeus is the child ...

. *

Justitia Lady Justice () is an Allegory, allegorical personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her attributes are Weighing scale, scales, a sword and sometimes a blindfold. She often appears as a pair with Prudentia. Lady Justice originat ...

, goddess of justice. * Juturna, goddess of fountains, wells, and springs. *

Juventas Juventas, also known as Iuventus or Juventus (Greek equivalent: Hebe), was the ancient Roman goddess whose sphere of tutelage was youth and rejuvenation. She was especially the goddess of young men "new to wearing the toga" ''(dea novorum t ...

, goddess of youth.

L

, household gods. * Latona, goddess of light. * Laverna, patroness of thieves, con men and charlatans. * Lemures, the malevolent dead. * Levana, goddess of the rite through which fathers accepted newborn babies as their own. * Letum, personification of death. *

, a god of male fertility, viniculture and freedom, assimilated to Roman

and Greek

. * Libera,

's female equivalent, assimilated to Roman

and Greek

Persephone In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...

. * Liberalitas, goddess or personification of generosity. *

Libertas Libertas (Latin for 'liberty' or 'freedom', ) is the Roman goddess and personification of liberty. She became a politicised figure in the late republic. She sometimes also appeared on coins from the imperial period, such as Galba's "Freedom ...

, goddess or personification of freedom. * Libitina, goddess of death, corpses and funerals. * Lua, goddess to whom soldiers sacrificed captured weapons, probably a consort of Saturn. * Lucina, goddess of childbirth, but often as an aspect of Juno. *

, goddess of the moon. * Lupercus, god of

shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...

s and wolves; as the god of the

Lupercalia Lupercalia, also known as Lupercal, was a pastoral festival of Ancient Rome observed annually on February 15 to purify the city, promoting health and fertility. Lupercalia was also known as ''dies Februatus'', after the purification instruments ...

, his identity is obscure, but he is sometimes identified with the Greek god Pan. *

Lympha The Lympha (plural ''Lymphae'') is an ancient Roman deity of fresh water. She is one of twelve agricultural deities listed by Varro as "leaders" (''duces'') of Roman farmers, because "without water all agriculture is dry and poor." The Lymphae ...

, often plural ''lymphae'', a water deity assimilated to the Greek

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

M

* Mana Genita, goddess of infant mortality *

Manes In ancient Roman religion, the ''Manes'' (, , ) or ''Di Manes'' are chthonic deities sometimes thought to represent souls of deceased loved ones. They were associated with the '' Lares'', '' Lemures'', '' Genii'', and '' Di Penates'' as deities ...

, the souls of the dead who came to be seen as household deities. *

Mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome defined as a state of Abnormality (behavior), abnormally elevated arousal, affect (psychology), affect, and energy level. During a mani ...

, the consort of the Etruscan underworld god Mantus, and perhaps to be identified with the tenebrous '' Mater Larum''; not to be confused with the Greek Maniae. * Mantus, an Etruscan god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. *

, god of war and father of Romulus, the founder of Rome; one of the

assigned a '' flamen maior''; lover of Venus; one of the

. Greek equivalent-Ares. * Mater Matuta, goddess of dawn and childbirth, patroness of mariners. * Meditrina, goddess of healing, introduced to account for the festival of Meditrinalia. *

Mefitis In Roman mythology, Mefitis (or Mephitis; Mefite in Italian) was a minor goddess of the poisonous gases emitted from the ground in swamps and volcanic vapors. Overview Mefitis was the Samnite and Oscian goddess of the foul-smelling gases of th ...

or Mephitis, goddess and personification of poisonous gases and volcanic vapours. * Mellona or Mellonia, goddess of bees and bee-keeping. *

Mena The Middle East and North Africa (MENA), also referred to as West Asia and North Africa (WANA) or South West Asia and North Africa (SWANA), is a geographic region which comprises the Middle East (also called West Asia) and North Africa together ...

or Mene, goddess of fertility and menstruation. * Mercury, messenger of the gods and bearer of souls to the underworld, and one of the

. Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes. *

, goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, industries and trades, and one of the

. Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Athena. *

Mithras Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman Empire, Roman mystery religion focused on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian peoples, Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity (''yazata'') Mit ...

, god worshipped in the Roman empire; popular with soldiers. * Molae, daughters of Mars, probably goddesses of grinding of the grain. *

Moneta In Roman mythology, Moneta (Latin Monēta) was a title given to two separate goddesses: It was the name of the goddess of memory (identified with the Greek mythology, Greek goddess Mnemosyne), and it was an epithet of Juno (mythology), Juno, ca ...

, minor goddess of memory, equivalent to the Greek

Mnemosyne In Greek mythology and ancient Greek religion, Mnemosyne (; , ) is the goddess of memory and the mother of the nine Muses by her nephew Zeus. In the Greek tradition, Mnemosyne is one of the Titans, the twelve divine children of the earth-godde ...

. Also used as an epithet of Juno. * Mors, personification of death and equivalent of the Greek

Thanatos In Greek mythology, Thanatos (; , ''Thánatos'', pronounced in "Death", from θνῄσκω ''thnēskō'' "(I) die, am dying") was the Personifications of death, personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referre ...

. * Morta, minor goddess of death and one of the

(Roman equivalent of the

). The cutter of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was

Atropos Atropos (; "without turn"), in Greek mythology, was the third of the Three Fates or Moirai, goddesses of fate and destiny. Her Roman equivalent was Morta. Atropos was one of the Three Fates and was known as "the Inflexible One." It was Atro ...

. *

Murcia Murcia ( , , ) is a city in south-eastern Spain, the Capital (political), capital and most populous city of the autonomous community of the Region of Murcia, and the Ranked lists of Spanish municipalities#By population, seventh largest city i ...

or Murtia, a little-known goddess who was associated with the myrtle, and in other sources was called a goddess of sloth and laziness (both interpretations arising from false etymologies of her name). Later equated with

in the form of Venus Murcia. * Mutunus Tutunus, a phallic god.

N

* Naenia, goddess of funerary lament. * Nascio, personification of the act of birth. * Necessitas, goddess of destiny, the Roman equivalent of

Ananke In ancient Greek religion, Ananke (; ), from the common noun ("force, constraint, necessity"), is the Orphic personification of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity. She is customarily depicted as holding a spindle. One of the Greek pr ...

. *

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion and myth, Nemesis (; ) also called Rhamnousia (or Rhamnusia; ), was the goddess who personified retribution for the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Etymology The name ''Nemesis'' is derived from the Greek ...

, goddess of revenge (

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

), adopted as an Imperial deity of retribution. *

, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, and one of the

. Greek equivalent is

Poseidon Poseidon (; ) is one of the twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.Burkert 1985pp. 136–139 He was the protector of seafarers and the guardian of many Hellenic cit ...

. *

Nerio In ancient Roman religion and myth, Nerio (or Neriene) was an ancient war goddess and the personification of valor. She was the partner of Mars in ancient cult practices, and was sometimes identified with the goddess Bellona, and occasionally wi ...

, ancient war goddess and the personification of valor. The consort of Mars. * Neverita, presumed a goddess, and associated with

and

in the Etrusco-Roman zodiac of

Martianus Capella Martianus Minneus Felix Capella () was a jurist, polymath and Latin literature, Latin prose writer of late antiquity, one of the earliest developers of the system of the seven liberal arts that structured early medieval education. He was a native ...

but otherwise unknown. * Nixi, also ''di nixi'', ''dii nixi'', or ''Nixae'', goddesses of childbirth. * Nona, minor goddess, one of the

(Roman equivalent of the

). The spinner of the thread of life, her Greek equivalent was

Clotho Clotho (; ) or Klotho, is a mythological figure. She was one of the Three Fates or Moirai. In ancient Greek mythology, she spins the thread of human life, her sisters draw out ( Lachesis) and cut ( Atropos) the thread. She also made major dec ...

. * Nortia a Roman-adopted Etruscan goddess of fate, destiny, and chance from the city of

Volsinii Volsinii or Vulsinii (Etruscan language, Etruscan: Velzna or Velusna; Ancient Greek, Greek: Ouolsinioi, ; ), is the name of two ancient cities of Etruria, one situated on the shore of Lacus Volsiniensis (modern Lago di Bolsena), and the other on ...

, where a nail was driven into a wall of her temple as part a new-year ceremony. * Nox, goddess of night, derived from the Greek Nyx.

O

* Ops or Opis, goddess of resources or plenty. *

, a god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths.

P

, obscure goddess who guarded the

Palatine Hill The Palatine Hill (; Classical Latin: ''Palatium''; Neo-Latin: ''Collis/Mons Palatinus''; ), which relative to the seven hills of Rome is the centremost, is one of the most ancient parts of the city; it has been called "the first nucleus of the ...

. She was assigned a flamen minor. * Pales, deity of shepherds, flocks and livestock. * Panda, see Empanda. *

, the three fates. * Pax, goddess of peace; equivalent of Greek Eirene. Aeneis 3 147

Penates In ancient Roman religion, the Di Penates () or Penates ( ) were among the ''dii familiares'', or household deities, invoked most often in domestic rituals. When the family had a meal, they threw a bit into the fire on the hearth for the Penates ...

Di Penates In ancient Roman religion, the Di Penates () or Penates ( ) were among the ''dii familiares'', or household deities, invoked most often in domestic rituals. When the family had a meal, they threw a bit into the fire on the hearth for the Penates. ...

, household gods. * Picumnus, minor god of fertility, agriculture, matrimony, infants and children. *

Picus Picus was a figure in Roman mythology, the first king of Latium. He was the son of Saturn (mythology), Saturn, also known as Stercutus. He was the founder of the first Latin tribe and settlement, Laurentum, located a few miles to the Southeast o ...

, Italic woodpecker god with oracular powers. *

Pietas (), translated variously as "duty", "religiosity" or "religious behavior", "loyalty", "devotion", or "filial piety" (English "piety" derives from the Latin), was one of the chief virtues among the ancient Romans. It was the distinguishing virt ...

, goddess of duty; personification of the Roman virtue

pietas (), translated variously as "duty", "religiosity" or "religious behavior", "loyalty", "devotion", or "filial piety" (English "piety" derives from the Latin), was one of the chief virtues among the ancient Romans. It was the distinguishing virt ...

. * Pilumnus, minor guardian god, concerned with the protection of infants at birth. *

, Greek ''Plouton'', a name for the ruler of the dead popularized through the mystery religions and

Greek philosophy Ancient Greek philosophy arose in the 6th century BC. Philosophy was used to make sense of the world using reason. It dealt with a wide variety of subjects, including astronomy, epistemology, mathematics, political philosophy, ethics, metaphysic ...

, sometimes used in Latin literature and identified with

Dis pater Dis Pater (; ; genitive ''Ditis Patris''), otherwise known as Rex Infernus or Pluto, is a Roman god of the underworld. Dis was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth, and since those minerals came from undergrou ...

. * Pomona, goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards; assigned a flamen minor. * Porrima, goddess of the future. Also called Antevorta. One of the Carmentes and the Camenae. * Portunus, god of keys, doors, and livestock, he was assigned a flamen minor. * Postverta or Prorsa Postverta, goddess of childbirth and the past, one of the two Carmentes (other being Porrima). *

Priapus In Greek mythology, Priapus (; ) is a minor rustic fertility god, protector of livestock, fruit plants, gardens, and male genitalia. Priapus is marked by his oversized, permanent erection, which gave rise to the medical term priapism. He becam ...

, phallic guardian of gardens, originally Greek. *

, Queen of the Dead and a grain-goddess, the Roman equivalent of the Greek

. *

Providentia In ancient Roman religion, Providentia is a divine personification of the ability to foresee and make provision. She was among the embodiments of Roman virtues, virtues that were part of the Imperial cult (ancient Rome), Imperial cult of ancient Ro ...

, goddess of forethought. *

Pudicitia Pudicitia ("modesty" or "sexual virtue") was a central concept in Sexuality in ancient Rome, ancient Roman sexual ethics. The word is derived from the more general ''pudor'', the sense of shame that regulated an individual's behavior as sociall ...

, goddess and personification of chastity, one of the Roman virtues. Her Greek equivalent was Aidôs.

Q

* Querquetulanae, nymphs of the oak. *

, Sabine god identified with Mars; Romulus, the founder of Rome, was deified as Quirinus after his death. Quirinus was a war god and a god of the Roman people and state, and was assigned a flamen maior; he was one of the

gods. * Quiritis, goddess of motherhood. Originally Sabine or pre-Roman, she was later equated with Juno.

R

* Robigo or Robigus, a god or goddess who personified grain disease and protected crops. * Roma, personification of the Roman state. * Rumina, goddess who protected breastfeeding mothers.

S

* Salacia, goddess of seawater, wife of Neptune. * Salus, goddess of the public welfare of the Roman people; came to be equated with the Greek Hygieia. * Sancus, god of loyalty, honesty, and oaths. *

, a titan, god of harvest and agriculture, the father of Jupiter, Neptune, Juno, and Pluto. *

Scotus The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that turn on questions ...

, god of darkness (

); brother of

Terra Terra may often refer to: * Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess * An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy * Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scient ...

, lover of Nox and opposite

Dis Dis, DIS or variants may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Dis (album), ''Dis'' (album), by Jan Garbarek, 1976 * ''Dís'', a soundtrack album by Jóhann Jóhannsson, 2004 * "Dis", a song by The Gazette from the 2003 album ''Hankou Seimeib ...

. Greek Erebos; deep, shadow and one of the primordial deities. * Securitas, goddess of security, especially the security of the Roman empire. * Senectus, god of old age. His Greek equivalent is Geras. * Silvanus, god of woodlands and forests. * Sol/

Sol Invictus Sol Invictus (, "Invincible Sun" or "Unconquered Sun") was the official Solar deity, sun god of the late Roman Empire and a later version of the god Sol (Roman mythology), Sol. The emperor Aurelian revived his cult in 274 AD and promoted Sol Inv ...

, sun god. * Somnus, god of sleep; equates with the Greek

Hypnos In Greek mythology, Hypnos (; Ancient Greek: , 'sleep'), also spelled Hypnus, is the personification of sleep. The Roman equivalent is Somnus. His name is the origin of the word hypnosis. Pausanias (geographer), Pausanias wrote that Hypnos was t ...

. * Soranus, a god later subsumed by

in the form Apollo Soranus. An Underworld god. * Sors, god of luck. * Spes, goddess of hope. * Stata Mater, goddess who protected against fires. Sometimes equated with Vesta. * Sterquilinus ("Manure"), god of fertilizer. Also known as Stercutus, Sterculius, Straculius, Struculius. * Suadela, goddess of persuasion, her Greek equivalent was

Peitho In Greek mythology, Peitho ( or 'winning eloquence') is the personification of persuasion. She is typically presented as an important companion of Aphrodite. Her opposite is Bia (mythology), Bia, the personification of force. As a personificatio ...

. *

, god of nocturnal thunder. * Sulis Minerva, a

conflation Conflation is the merging of two or more sets of information, texts, ideas, or opinions into one, often in error. Conflation is defined as 'fusing blending', but is often used colloquially as 'being equal to' - treating two similar but disparate c ...

of the Celtic goddess Sulis and

T

* Talasius, a god of marriage * Tellumo or Tellurus, male counterpart of Tellus. * Tempestas, a goddess of storms or sudden weather, usually plural as the Tempestates * Terra Mater or Tellus, goddess of the earth and land. The Greek equivalent is Gaea, mother of titans, consort of Caelus (Uranus). * Terminus, the rustic god of boundaries. * Tiberinus, river god; deity of the

Tiber The Tiber ( ; ; ) is the List of rivers of Italy, third-longest river in Italy and the longest in Central Italy, rising in the Apennine Mountains in Emilia-Romagna and flowing through Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where it is joined by the R ...

river. * Tibertus, god of the river

Anio The Aniene (; ), formerly known as the Teverone, is a river in Lazio, Italy. It originates in the Apennines at Trevi nel Lazio and flows westward past Subiaco, Vicovaro, and Tivoli to join the Tiber in northern Rome. It formed the principal v ...

, a tributary of the Tiber. * Tranquillitas, goddess of peace and tranquility. *

Trivia Trivia is information and data that are considered to be of little value. Modern usage of the term ''trivia'' dates to the 1960s, when college students introduced question-and-answer contests to their universities. A board game, ''Trivial Purs ...

, goddess of crossroads and magic, equated with

Hecate Hecate ( ; ) is a goddess in ancient Greek religion and mythology, most often shown holding a pair of torches, a key, or snakes, or accompanied by dogs, and in later periods depicted as three-formed or triple-bodied. She is variously associat ...

V

Vacuna Vacuna was an ancient Sabine goddess, identified by ancient Roman sources and later scholars with numerous other goddesses, including Ceres, Diana, Nike, Minerva, Bellona, Venus and Victoria. She was mainly worshipped at a sanctuary near ...

, ancient Sabine goddess of rest after harvest who protected the farmers' sheep; later identified with Nike and worshipped as a war goddess. * Vagitanus, or Vaticanus, opens the newborn's mouth for its first cry. * Vediovus or Veiovis, obscure god, a sort of anti-

, as the meaning of his name suggests. May be a god of the underworld. * Venilia or Venelia, sea goddess, wife of Neptune or Faunus. *

Venti Venti may refer to: * Venti (software), a network storage system * Venti, a character in 2020 video game '' Genshin Impact'' *A coffee cup size at Starbucks *The Roman equivalent of the Greek Anemoi In ancient Greek religion and Greek mytho ...

, the winds, equivalent to the Greek

Anemoi In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, myth, the Anemoi () were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various nature, ...

: North wind Aquilo(n) or Septentrio (Greek Boreas); South wind Auster (Greek

Notus In Greek mythology and religion, Notus () is the god of the south wind and one of the Anemoi (wind-gods), sons of the dawn goddess Eos and the star-god Astraeus. A desiccating wind of heat, Notus was associated with the storms of late summer and ...

); East wind Vulturnus (

Eurus In Greek mythology and religion, Eurus () is the god and personification of the east wind, although sometimes he is also said to be southeast specifically. He is one of the four principal wind gods, the Anemoi, alongside Boreas (north wind), Ze ...

); West wind Favonius (

Zephyrus In Greek mythology and religion, Zephyrus () (), also spelled in English as Zephyr (), is the god and personification of the West wind, one of the several wind gods, the Anemoi. The son of Eos (the goddess of the dawn) and Astraeus, Zephyrus is t ...

); Northwest wind Caurus or Corus (see minor winds). *

, goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, and gardens; mother of the founding hero

; one of the

. *

Veritas In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...

, goddess and personification of the Roman virtue of

veritas In Roman mythology, Veritas (), meaning Truth, is the Goddess of Truth, a daughter of Saturn (mythology), Saturn (called Cronus by the Greeks, the Titan (mythology), Titan of Time, perhaps first by Plutarch) and the mother of Virtus (deity), Vi ...

or truth. *

Verminus 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 repres ...

, god of cattle worms. *

Vertumnus In Roman mythology, Vertumnus (; also Vortumnus or Vertimnus) is the god of seasons, change and plant growth, as well as gardens and fruit trees. He could change his form at will; using this power, according to Ovid's ''Metamorphoses'' (xiv), ...

, Vortumnus or Vertimnus, god of the seasons, and of gardens and fruit trees. * Vesta, goddess of the hearth, the Roman state, and the sacred fire; one of the

. *

Vica Pota In ancient Roman religion, Vica Pota was a goddess whose shrine ''(aedes)'' was located at the foot of the Velian Hill, on the site of the ''domus'' of Publius Valerius Publicola. This location would place the temple on the same side of the Velia a ...

, goddess of victory and competitions. * Victoria, goddess of victory. * Viduus, god who separated the soul and body after death. *

Virbius upright=1.3, ''The Death of Hippolytus'', by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912) In Greek mythology, Hippolytus (; ) is the son of Theseus and an Amazon, either Hippolyta or Antiope. His downfall at the hands of Aphrodite is recounted by ...

, a forest god, the reborn Hippolytus. *

Virtus () was a specific virtue in ancient Rome that carried connotations of valor, masculinity, excellence, courage, character, and worth, all perceived as masculine strengths. It was thus a frequently stated virtue of Roman emperors, and was perso ...

, god or goddess of military strength, personification of the Roman virtue of

virtus () was a specific virtue in ancient Rome that carried connotations of valor, masculinity, excellence, courage, character, and worth, all perceived as masculine strengths. It was thus a frequently stated virtue of Roman emperors, and was perso ...

. *

, god of water, was assigned a flamen minor. Not to be confused with Vulturnus. * Voluptas, goddess of pleasure. * Vulcan, god of the forge, fire, and blacksmiths, husband to Venus, and one of the

, was assigned a flamen minor.

Titles and honorifics

Certain honorifics and titles could be shared by different gods, divine

personification Personification is the representation of a thing or abstraction as a person, often as an embodiment or incarnation. In the arts, many things are commonly personified, including: places, especially cities, National personification, countries, an ...

s, demi-gods and '' divi'' (deified mortals).

''Augustus'' and ''Augusta''

'', "the elevated or august one" (

masculine Masculinity (also called manhood or manliness) is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles generally associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some beh ...

form) is an honorific and title awarded to

Octavian Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

in recognition of his unique status, the extraordinary range of his powers, and the apparent divine approval of his

principate The Principate was the form of imperial government of the Roman Empire from the beginning of the reign of Augustus in 27 BC to the end of the Crisis of the Third Century in AD 284, after which it evolved into the Dominate. The principate was ch ...

. After his death and deification, the title was awarded to each of his successors. It also became a near ubiquitous title or honour for various minor local deities, including the '' Lares Augusti'' of local communities, and obscure provincial deities such as the

North African North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

''Marazgu Augustus''. This extension of an Imperial honorific to major and minor deities of Rome and her provinces is considered a ground-level feature of

Imperial cult An imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor or a dynasty of emperors (or rulers of another title) are worshipped as demigods or deities. "Cult (religious practice), Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejor ...

. '' Augusta'', the feminine form, is an honorific and title associated with the development and dissemination of Imperial cult as applied to

Roman Empress The term Roman empress usually refers to the consorts of the Roman emperors, the rulers of the Roman Empire. The duties, power and influence of empresses varied depending on the time period, contemporary politics and the personalities of their hu ...

es, whether living, deceased or deified as ''divae''. The first Augusta was

Livia Livia Drusilla (30 January 59 BC AD 29) was List of Roman and Byzantine empresses, Roman empress from 27 BC to AD 14 as the wife of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. She was known as Julia Augusta after her formal Adoption ...

, wife of

, and the title is then shared by various state goddesses including

, Ceres, Juno,

, and Ops; by many minor or local goddesses; and by the female personifications of Imperial virtues such as Pax and Victoria.

''Bonus'' and ''Bona''

The

epithet An epithet (, ), also a byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) commonly accompanying or occurring in place of the name of a real or fictitious person, place, or thing. It is usually literally descriptive, as in Alfred the Great, Suleima ...

''Bonus'', "the Good," is used in Imperial ideology with abstract deities such as ''Bona Fortuna'' ("Good Fortune"), ''Bona Mens'' ("Good Thinking" or "Sound Mind"), and '' Bona Spes'' ("Valid Hope," perhaps to be translated as "Optimism"). During the Republic, the epithet may be most prominent with

, "the Good Goddess" whose rites were celebrated by women.

, "Good Outcome", was one of Varro's twelve agricultural deities, and later represented success in general. Isis - Vienna

''Caelestis''

From the middle Imperial period, the title ''Caelestis'', "Heavenly" or "Celestial" is attached to several goddesses embodying aspects of a single, supreme Heavenly Goddess. The ''Dea Caelestis'' was identified with the constellation Virgo ("The Virgin"), who holds the divine balance of justice. In the ''

Metamorphoses The ''Metamorphoses'' (, , ) is a Latin Narrative poetry, narrative poem from 8 Common Era, CE by the Ancient Rome, Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''Masterpiece, magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the world from its Cre ...

'' of

Apuleius Apuleius ( ), also called Lucius Apuleius Madaurensis (c. 124 – after 170), was a Numidians, Numidian Latin-language prose writer, Platonist philosopher and rhetorician. He was born in the Roman Empire, Roman Numidia (Roman province), province ...

, the protagonist Lucius prays to the Hellenistic Egyptian goddess

Isis Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

as ''Regina Caeli'', "

Queen of Heaven Queen of Heaven () is a title given by the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, to Mary, mother of Jesus, and, to a lesser extent, in Anglicanism and Lutheranism. The title has long been a tradition, included in prayers and devotional literat ...

", who is said to manifest also as Ceres, "the original nurturing parent"; Heavenly Venus ''(Venus Caelestis)''; the "sister of Phoebus", that is, Diana or

as she is worshipped at Ephesus; or

as the triple goddess of the underworld. Juno Caelestis was the Romanised form of the Carthaginian

Tanit Tanit or Tinnit (Punic language, Punic: 𐤕𐤍𐤕 ''Tīnnīt'' (JStor)) was a chief deity of Ancient Carthage; she derives from a local Berber deity and the consort of Baal Hammon. As Ammon is a local Libyan deity, so is Tannit, who represents ...

. Grammatically, the form ''Caelestis'' can also be a masculine word, but the equivalent function for a male deity is usually expressed through syncretization with

, as in ''Caelus Aeternus Iuppiter,'' "Jupiter the Eternal Sky."

''Invictus''

''Invictus'' ("Unconquered, Invincible") was in use as a divine epithet by the early 3rd century BC. In the Imperial period, it expressed the invincibility of deities embraced officially, such as Jupiter, Mars,

, and Sol. On coins, calendars, and other inscriptions, Mercury, Saturn, Silvanus, Fons,

Serapis Serapis or Sarapis is a Egyptian Greeks, Graeco-Egyptian god. A Religious syncretism, syncretic deity derived from the worship of the Egyptian Osiris and Apis (deity), Apis, Serapis was extensively popularized in the third century BC on the ord ...

, Sabazius, Apollo, and the Genius are also found as ''Invictus.'' Cicero considers it a normal epithet for Jupiter, in regard to whom it is probably a synonym for ''Omnipotens''. It is also used in the

Mithraic mysteries Mithraism, also known as the Mithraic mysteries or the Cult of Mithras, was a Roman mystery religion focused on the god Mithras. Although inspired by Iranian worship of the Zoroastrian divinity ('' yazata'') Mithra, the Roman Mithras was ...

''Mater'' and ''Pater''

''Mater'' ("Mother") was an honorific that respected a goddess's maternal authority and functions, and not necessarily "motherhood" per se. Early examples included Terra Mater (Mother Earth) and the Mater Larum (Mother of the

). Vesta, a goddess of chastity usually conceived of as a virgin, was honored as ''Mater''. A goddess known as Stata Mater was a compital deity credited with preventing fires in the city. From the middle Imperial era, the reigning Empress becomes ''Mater castrorum et senatus et patriae'', the symbolic Mother of military camps, the

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 ...

, and the fatherland. The Gallic and Germanic cavalry ''(

auxilia The (; ) were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen Roman legion, legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 27 BC. By the 2nd century, the contained the same number of infantry as the ...

)'' of the Roman Imperial army regularly set up altars to the "Mothers of the Field" (''Campestres'', from ''campus'', "field," with the title ''Matres'' or ''Matronae''). See also Magna Mater (Great Mother) following. Gods were called ''Pater'' ("Father") to signify their preeminence and paternal care, and the filial respect owed to them. ''Pater'' was found as an epithet of

, and

, among others.

Magna Mater

"The Great Mother" was a title given to

in her Roman cult. Some Roman literary sources accord the same title to

Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; ), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daughter of A ...

and other goddesses.

Macrobius Macrobius Ambrosius Theodosius, usually referred to as Macrobius (fl. AD 400), was a Roman provincial who lived during the early fifth century, during late antiquity, the period of time corresponding to the Later Roman Empire, and when Latin was ...

, ''Saturnalia'' 1.12.16–33. Cited in H.H.J. Brouwer, ''Bona Dea: The Sources and a Description of the Cult'' (Brill, 1989), pp. 240, 241.

Notes and references

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roman Deities Mythology-related lists Lists of deities

Deities A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...