ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

Mary Eunice D. Quijano

BSE 302- English

ROMAN MYTHOLOG

Y

ROMAN MYTHOLOG

Y• Origin of the World• Gods and Goddesses • Monsters

Origin of the World

Origin of the WorldIn the beginning there was absolutely nothing – just dark, endless matter. Then a divine spirit, or “God”, rolled the matter into a ball to create Earth. This spirit divided the earth into five “zones.”

Origin of the WorldThe two outer zones were far too cold for any living thing to survive in, and the inner layer was too hot. The two layers that were left over, however, consisted of a perfect balance between warm and cold.

Origin of the WorldIt was in these zones that everything was created – lakes, seas, land, animals, etc. The only thing that lacked in these zones were a symbol of god.

Origin of the WorldSeeing this, Prometheus sculpted a figure, man, out of earth. This figure was to symbolize the gods, thus human life is formed.

Origin of the WorldHumans were designed to walk on two feet so that their gaze was up towards the heavens, rather than on the ground as most other creatures were. Because the Earth possessed great qualities, so did man. Man lived in harmony for quite some time, not needing any laws or rules to abide.

Origin of the World Eventually, discoveries were made, with humans finding gold, silver, and bronze. These elements were made into weapons, where battle began.

Origin of the WorldMan wanted more land, and it turned everyone mad. Brother betrayed brother, alliances were made then broken, everything a catastrophe.

Origin of the WorldThis conflict threatened even the heavens. The gods, realizing this, had to stop the conflict. They decided to just wipe out all of man and start from scratch. Jove, decided the plan was to shower down a reign of lightning bolt upon the humans..

Origin of the WorldThe other gods agreed this would be best. Just as Jove was about to destroy all of humanity, he found an easier, more efficient way. The Earth consisted mostly of water, so Jove decided to summon the waters. He did just that, wiping out what seemed to be all of man

Origin of the WorldAfter the waters receded, Jove was left with two people – Deucalion and Pyhrra. Jove found no reason to get rid of these two, as they were committed believers and good souls.

Origin of the WorldDeucalion and Pyhrra decided to visit an oracle, which told them to spread the bones of their mother. They were disturbed by this, until Deucalion deciphered the oracle into spreading rocks of mother earth. They threw and spread the rocks, and the human race was repopulated; one human for each rock that hit the ground.

Gods and goddesses

Roman Council of 12 Gods

“Dei Consentes”

Six male and six female gods and goddesses. The are: Jupiter and Juno, Neptune and Minerva, Mars and Venus, Apollo and Diana, Mercury and Ceres, Vulcan and Vesta.

Gods and goddesses

Ruler of the Gods. He is the god of Sky, Lightning and Thunder. He is the son of Saturn and brother of Neptune, Pluto and Juno, who is also his wife. His attribute is the lightning bolt and his symbol the eagle, who is also his messenger. He was also considered the Patron god of Rome, and his temple was the official place of state business and sacrifices.

Jupiter

Queen of the Gods.Goddess of Marriage. Jupiter's wife and sister, sister to Neptune and Pluto, daughter of Saturn, mother of Juventas, Mars, and Vulcan. Protectress of the Roman state. She was the guardian of the Empire's finances and considered the Matron Goddess of all Rome. The Matronalia, her major festival is March 1-2. Her other festival, on July 7-8, was called Nonae Caprotinae ("The Nones of the Wild Fig"). The month of June was named after her.

Juno

God of the Sea. Brother of Jupiter, Pluto and Juno. The God and patron of Horses and Horse Racing as Neptune Equester. Neptunalia was celebrated on July 23. The trident and horse are Neptune's attribute.

Neptune

Goddess of Wisdom, Learning, the Arts, Sciences, Medicine, Dyeing, Trade, and of War. Daughter of Jupiter, protectress of commerce, industry and education. Honoured at the spring equinox with her main festival, March 19 - 23, called the Quinquatria. On June 13 the minor Quinquatrus was observed.

Minerva

God of war, spring, growth in nature, agriculture, terror, anger, revenge, courage and fertility. Protector of cattle. The son of Jupiter and Juno. Mars was regarded as the father of the Roman people because he was the father of Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. He was the most prominent of the military gods that were worshipped by the Roman legions. His festivals were held in March (named for him) and October.

Mars

Originally a Goddess of Gardens and Vinyards, became the major deity of love and beauty after the influx of Greek deities. On August 18 the Vinalia Rustica was observed. A second festival, that of the Veneralia, was celebrated on April 1 in honor of Venus Verticordia, who later became the protector against vice. On April 23 a festival, the Vinalia Priora, celebrated the opening of one of her temples.

Venus

The god of music and healing. He was also an archer, and hunted with a silver bow. Apollo is the son of Jupiter and Leto, and the twin brother of Diana . His symbols include the laurel tree, the crow, and the dolphin.

Apollo

Goddess of the hunt ,nature, fertility, childbirth, wildwood, moon, forests, animals, mountains, woods, and women. In Roman art Diana usually appears as a huntress with bow and arrow, along with a hunting dog or a stag. Both a virgin goddess and an earth goddess, she was identified with the Greek Artemis. She is praised for her strength, athletic grace, beauty and her hunting skills. With two other deities she made up a trinity: Egeria the water nymph (her servant and assistant midwife), and Virbius (the woodland god).

Diana

God of Trade, Profit, Merchants and Travellers. His main festival, the Mercuralia, was celebrated on May 15 and on this day the merchants sprinkled their heads and their merchandise with water from his well near the Porta Capena. The symbols of Mercury are the caduceus (a staff with two intertwined snakes) and a purse (a symbol of his connection with commerce).

Mercury

 Goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationships.

Her seven-day April festival of Cerealia included the popular Ludi Ceriales (Ceres' games). She was also honoured in the May lustration of fields at the Ambarvalia festival, at harvest-time, and during Roman marriages and funeral rites.

ceres

Goddess of the fire (both sacred and domestic) and the hearth and home. Daughter of Saturn and Ops. Her sacred animal was the ass. Patroness of bakers. Her chief festival was the Vestalia on June 7. One of the most worshipped of the Roman deities.

vesta

God of Fire, Blacksmiths and Craftsmanship. His forge is located beneath Mount Etna. It is here that he, together with his helpers, forges weapons for Gods and heroes. Closely associated with Bona Dea with whom he shared the Volcanalia, observed on August 23.

Vulcan

Ancient Roman Gods

SaturnHe was the first god of the Capitol, known since the most ancient times as Saturnius Mons, and was seen as a god of generation, dissolution, plenty, wealth, agriculture, periodical renewal and liberation. In later developments he came to be also a god of time .In December, he was celebrated at what is perhaps the most famous of the Roman festivals, the Saturnalia, a time of feasting, role reversals, free speech, gift-giving and revelry. Saturn the planet and Saturday are both named after the god.

BacchusThe god of wine and civilization, law and calm. Bacchus was the child of Jupiter and Semele, a human whom Juno (whose Greek name is Hera) had tricked into asking to see Jupiter as he really was. Since she was a mortal, she was burned up by the sight of Jupiter in his divine form. So Jupiter sewed the infant Bacchus into his thigh, and gave birth to him nine months later. As a child, Bacchus was tutored by Silenus, who was a great lover of wine and often had to be carried on the back of a donkey. Before he took his place at Olympus, Bacchus wandered the world for many years, going as far as India to teach people how to grow vines.

Pluto

Another brother of Jupiter. The lord of the underworld.

HerculesWas another of Jupiter's sons, although his mother(Alcmene) was a mortal. Hercules was half man, half god. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.

CupidGod of desire, attraction and affection. The son of Venus, the goddess of love. He carried a bow and arrow to shoot people. When you were shot with Cupid's arrow, you fell in love with the very next person you saw.

Orpheus•The son of Apollo and Calliope. •He was the most famous musician in the ancient world. •Fell in love with Eurydice.

Janus•Roman god of gates and doors. •The god of beginnings and transitions.•Represented with two opposite faces.

MaiaGoddess of growth, as her name was thought to be related to the comparative adjective maius, maior, "larger, greater."

Flora Goddess of flowers and the season of spring. Her festival, the Floralia, was held between April 28 and May 3 and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, drinking, and flowers.

ProserpinaShe was the daughter of Ceres, goddess of agriculture and crops[4] and Jupiter, the god of sky and thunder. Goddess of the underworld.

MONSTERS

The three-headed dog with a serpent tail, and on his back innumerable snakes' heads. Guards the entrance to the underworld. Cerberus was friendly to those arriving. He only became dangerous to those trying to leave without permission.

Cerberus

Vicious female monsters with sharp fangs and hair of living, venomous snakes. Gorgons are sometimes depicted as having wings of gold, brazen claws, and the tusks of boars. According to the myths, seeing the face of a Gorgon turned the viewer to stone. The famous Medusa was a Gorgon.

- Medusa means “sovereign female wisdom”.

Gorgons

Strange creatures with the upper body, head, arms and chest, of a man but a body of a horse.

centaur

A fire-breathing creature with the body of a lioness, a tail that ends in a snake's head, and the head of a goat coming out of her back at the center of spine.

CHIMERA

A mixture of a serpent and a woman, a beautiful fair-faced nymph from the waist up, but a horrible serpent below. She grew up in her cave and used her beautiful head and torso to lure men but once they were trapped, her serpent nature took over and she ate them raw.

ECHIDNA

A snake with numerous heads that were sometimes said to be human as well. The breath of the Hydra was so venomous that anyone who approached it would die, even if the monster was sleeping. Hercules thought to destroy it by cutting off its heads, but as soon as he did so more heads grew in their place.

hydra

Birds with the heads of women, long claws, faces pale with hunger, which leave behind filth and stench.

Harpy

Siren•Represented as birds with large women's heads, bird feathers and scaly feet.• Later, they were represented as female figures with the legs of birds, with or without wings, playing a variety of musical instruments, especially harps• Seduce sailors with their singing and lead these sailors to their deaths.