THE ROMAN EMPIRE &
ROMAN MYTHOLOGY
A BRIEF HISTORY OF ROME Rome, known as 'the eternal city„, is believed to be founded in the
year 625 BC.
Early Rome was governed by kings, but after only seven of them
had ruled, the Romans took power and ruled themselves.
They established a council known as the „Senate' which ruled over
the roman people who are as the 'Roman Republic'.
The Roman Republic was a very successful government. It lasted
from 510 BC until 23 BC - almost 5000 years. In comparison the
United States of America only exist since 1776 - less than 300
years.
JULIUS CAESAR Rome's most famous citizen was no doubt Julius
Caesar. He was a Roman politician and general. In
the year 49 BC, Caesar conquered Rome and then
ruled as a dictator.
Julius Caesar, having claimed to be a direct
descendent of Aeneas, the son of Venus, was
among the first to deify himself in such a manner.
His life was ended as he was infamously murdered
in the senate in Rome and is the subject of a play by
Shakespeare.
ROMAN RELIGION
Roman mythology is the
combination of the beliefs, the
rituals, and the observances of
supernatural occurrences by the
ancient Romans from early
periods until Christianity finally
completely replaced it.
ROMAN VS. GREEK MYTHOLOGYMost of the Roman gods and goddesses were a
blend of several religious influences.
Many of these were introduced via the Greek colonies
In some cases the Etruscan or Latin names survived throughout the cultural existence of Rome, but many were adopted so completely that they maintained their names from other cultures.
the Greek names remained the choice of the people and the major gods of the system therefore, were known by both.
URANUS & GAIA Uranus was God of the Sky
Gaia was Goddess of the Earth
They had many children together including giants.
They had a violent argument and split up. Ever since the earth and sky have been apart.
Uranus was a shadowy figure right at the start of time.
Uranus was not worshipped by the Romans, and as such
there are no pictures of him.
SATURN ~ GOD OF TIME
Saturn ruled the Gods before Jupiter. The Roman version of
Saturn‟s myth is similar to that of Cronus with his children.
Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto were his children. They
represent Air, Water and Death, the three things that
Time cannot kill.
Son of Gaia and Uranus
He is called Old Father Time.
Held a sickle or scythe in his left hand and a bundle of wheat in his right
The Roman version of Saturn‟s myth is similar to that of Cronuswith his children
JUPITER ~ RULER OF THE GODS
Son of Saturn, Brother of Neptune & Pluto
Jupiter was King of the Gods
The eagle was his messenger
Jupiter means Father Jove
Thunderbolt, thunder & lightening
Other gods were terrified of him, although
he was a little scared of his wife Juno!
Patron God of Rome – his temple was the official
place of state business and sacrifices
There was a big temple on the Capitol in Rome dedicated to Jupiter
Optimus Maximus (which means Jupiter Best and Greatest).
NEPTUNE God of the Sea
God of Earthquakes
Son of Saturn
He rode a dolphin or a horse
Carried a trident, which had three prongs.
When the sea is rough enough to show white tops to the waves called sea horses. The back half of the seahorse is a fish. (see picture above)
He was also the God of Horses and horse-racing.
PLUTO Son of Saturn
Brother of Jupiter & Neptune
Husband of Proserpine
God of Death
Ruler of the Underworld
Romans were afraid to say Pluto's name
because they were afraid he might notice them
and they would die.
THE UNDERWORLD When someone died, they travelled
down to the Underworld.
First, they had to cross the River of
the Dead, called the Styx.
Everyone was buried with a coin, to
pay the ferryman,
Then they had to get past Cerberus,
a fierce dog with three heads, which
would only let the Dead through.
Finally they had to come before the
Judges of the Dead.
JUNOMother of Mars & Vulcan
Wife of Jupiter
Queen of the gods
English word “ Junoesque” means a large beautiful woman
Goddess of women and marriage.
Her bird was the peacock.
CERES Goddess of Earth & Corn Mother of Proserpine, Queen of the Underworld
Sister of Jupiter
She carried the cornucopia, a horn full of vegetables and fruit.
ROMAN MYTH: Pluto fell in love with Proserpine, and carried her off to the Underworld. Ceres searched everywhere, but couldn't find her. Eventually Ceres refused to let the plants grow any more, and everyone begun to die of hunger. Pluto then admitted he had Proserpine. Proserpine had eaten six seeds from a pomegranate. This means that she could go home, but had to return to her husband for six months every year. When this happens, Ceres stops everything growing, and winter comes.
VESTA ~ GODDESS OF THE HOME
Sister of Jupiter
Vesta was the center of the Roman home
In Roman homes, every day, during a meal, a small cake was thrown on the fire for Vesta. It was good luck if it burnt with a crackle.
She was a quiet well-behaved goddess, who didn't join in the arguments and fights of the other gods.
She was protector of the sacred flame. The flame was relit every March 1st and had to be kept alight all year. If this flame ever went out, disaster would fall on Rome. The flame was kept alive by the Vestal Virgins, priestesses were chosen to serve for thirty years, and were not allowed to marry.
MARS ~ GOD OF WAR Son of Jupiter and Juno
English word: Martial means warlike.
Father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Because of this mythological lineage, the Roman people felt as though they were also the children of Mars and he was regarded as their protector.
The month March (Martius) is named after him. March was called after Mars because that was when the soldiers started fighting again after winter.
He was a god of spring, growth in nature, and fertility, and the protector of cattle.
MARS ~ GOD OF WAR
Mars held a special place in Roman life because
of the importance of military achievement in the
Roman Empire who conquered Northern Africa
and much of Europe and the Middle East.
Mars is portrayed as a warrior in full battle armor, wearing a crested helmet and bearing a shield.
His sacred animals are the wolf and the woodpecker, and he is accompanied by Fuga and Timor, the personifications of flight and fear
MINERVA
GODDESS OF WISDOM
Daughter of Jupiter
Her symbol was the owl.
The Roman goddess of wisdom, medicine, the arts,
dyeing, science, trade, and war.
As Minerva or “Medica” she is the patroness of
physicians.
Minerva is believed to be the inventor of numbers and
musical instruments.
MINERVA
GODDESS OF WISDOM ROMAN MYTH: She had a strange birth. One day, Jupiter had a bad
headache. Nothing would cure it. Eventually Vulcan split open Jupiter's
head. Out jumped Minerva in amour with shield and spear!
ROMAN MYTH: Minerva was the goddess of arts and crafts. She was
particularly good at weaving. Once a woman called Arachne wove a
beautiful picture. Minerva tried to find something wrong with it. When she
couldn't, she tore it up and turned Arachne into a spider. The spider still
weaves beautiful webs.
ROMAN MYTH: Minerva helped the hero Perseus to kill the gorgon Medusa.
Minerva told Perseus to look at Medusa's reflection in a polished shield.
That way he could cut the head off without looking directly at the gorgon.
He gave the head to Minerva, who put it on her shield, so it would turn her
enemies to stone.
VENUS ~ GODDESS OF LOVE Daughter of Jupiter
Mother of Cupid
Venus was born in the sea and first came to shore at Cyprus, floating on a scallop shell with “For the Fairest" written on a Golden Apple.
ROMAN MYTH: Venus, Juno & Minerva all wanted to be named the most beautiful. They decided to let a mortal man, Paris, judge. They were all so beautiful that he couldn't make his mind up. The Goddess tried to bribe him: Juno said she would make him powerful, Minerva said she would make him wise and Venus offered him Helen, the most beautiful woman in the world. He chose Venus and her gift. Unfortunately, Helen was married to someone else, and when Paris carried her off to his home at Troy, her husband came with his allies to get her back. Paris and all his family were killed and Troy was destroyed. Many famous stories were written about Helen of Troy.
CUPID~GOD OF LOVE Son of Venus
English word: “Cupidity” means greediness.
mischievous
His weapon was a bow, and anyone hit by
one of his arrows fell madly in love.
ROMAN MYTH: Cupid once scratched himself with one of his own arrows by mistake. He was looking at a woman called Psyche, and fell in love with her. He knew that his mother Venus would be angry, so he hid Psyche away and told her that she must never try to look at him. Psyche thought that she had been captured by a hideous monster, and, of course, couldn't resist taking a peep. She was enchanted by the first sight of her handsome husband, and while playing with his arrows, scratched herself as well. So now they were both desperately in love with each other. Venus drove Psyche away, and she had many adventures before she was allowed to stay with Cupid, and Venus became reconciled to being a mother-in-law!
APOLLO ~ GOD OF THE SUN Son of Jupiter, Twin Brother of Diana
Each day he drove his chariot of fiery
horses across the sky to give light to
the world.
God of music and played the lyre
His most famous temple was at Delphi
in Greece. Know as God of Prophesy,
his priestess would prophesize the
future.
APOLLO ~ GOD OF THE SUNApollo had a son called Phaethon, who was human.
Phaethon nagged at Apollo to let him
borrow the sun chariot and fly
across the sky. Finally, Apollo
agreed.
Phaethon proudly drove the sun chariot up
into the sky, but then he lost control of the
horses. The sun chariot dived towards the
earth, burning everything. Finally, Jupiter
had to stop him with a thunder bolt.
DIANA Daughter of Jupiter
Twin Sister of Apollo
Carried a bow and arrows
Goddess of the Moon & Hunting
Helped women in child-birth, because her mother, Leto, gave birth to her and her twin brother so easily.
Roman Myth: Once she was bathing in a forest pool and a hunter, Actaeon, spied on her. As punishment, Diana turned him into a stag and he was chased by his own hunting dogs.
MERCURY ~ MESSENGE OF THE GODS Son of Jupiter and Goddess Maia
God of thieves and travelers.
God of science and business
Wore a winged hat and sandals so he could fly.
He carried a staff which also has wings and
two snakes winding round it.
ROMAN MYTH: When he was only a few days old, he stole the cows of Apollo. Mercury made special shoes for the cows and made them walk backwards, so no one could follow their tracks. Apollo noticed Mercury was playing a musical instrument, a lyre, strung with cow-gut. He realized Mercury had stolen his cows. Apollo was furious with Mercury, but agreed that Mercury could keep the cows if Apollo kept the the lyre.
“Mercurial” means light-hearted and active.
VULCAN ~ THE SMITH GOD Son of Jupiter
Vulcan was the smith of the gods
He made Jupiter‟s thunderbolts.
God of the Volcano, his smithy was
in the volcano Etna, in Sicily,
where you can see fire from his forge.
ROMAN MYTH: Once, he made Jupiter angry, and Jupiter threw him out of Heaven. Vulcan fell to Earth and broke both legs, which made him lame.
He made women of gold to help him in his smithy - possibly the first robots!
BACCHUS ~ GOD OF WINE Son of Jupiter
God of the Theatre
He was accompanied by
Maenads, or wild dancing
women. They carried the thyrsus,
a staff of giant fennel, covered
with ivy leaves, with a pine cone
on top.
JANUS ~ GOD OF DOORS Janus kept the gate of Heaven,
so he became the god of doors and gates.
He was very important, because a house is only as strong as its doors.
His temple in Rome had its doors thrown open in times of War, and closed in times of Peace. They were usually open! The Emperor Augustus closed the doors of the temple, since he brought peace to the Roman Empire.
Janus had two faces, one looking forwards and one looking back, since a door can let you in, or let you out.
The first month of the year is named after him. In January, we look back at the last year, and forward to the next.
MAIA Relations: Maia is Mother of Mercury
English word: May is the hawthorn in flower.
Goddess of Growth
Goddess for which the month of May is named.
In the Middle Ages, people went out Maying on the first of May. They would go to the fields and woods, collecting flowers and enjoying the sunshine.
FLORA
Goddess of flowers
Origin of words related to flowers
ROMAN GODS = GREEK GODS
GREEK GODS ROMAN GODSZeus Jupiter
Hera Juno
Apollo Apollo
Demeter Ceres
Artemis Diana
Ares Mars
Hermes Mercury
ROMAN GODS = GREEK GODS
GREEK GODS ROMAN GODSDionysus Bacchus
Hades Pluto
Eros Cupid
Athena Minerva
Poseidon Neptune
Aphrodite Venus
Hestia Vesta
Hephaestus Vulcan
How can you still see the influence of
Roman Mythology today?
HISTORY OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE The Roman Empire was one of the largest and most enduring in world
history.
The saying "All Roads Lead to Rome" alludes to this central hub of technology, literature, culture and architecture in the ancient world. The engineers of the Roman age created an unparalleled network of roads in ancient history.
They built strong arched bridges, and mastered the concept of "running water" using aqueducts that, among other things, supplied public baths rivaling today's modern water facilities.
At the height of its power in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the Roman Empire consisted of some 2.2 million square miles (5.7 million sq. km). 60 million people (or as much as 1/5 of the world's population) claimed citizenship of Rome
SOLAR SYSTEMName Why??? God
SunThe Sun is the
brightest object in the
sky.
Apollo - God of
Enlightenment
MoonThe Moon is the next
brightest object.
Diana - Goddess
of Hunting, sister
of Apollo
Mercury Fastest planet
Mercury -
Messenger of the
Gods
SOLAR SYSTEMName WHY??? God
Venus brightest planetVenus - Goddess
of Love
Marsthe red (blood)
planetMars - God of War
Jupiter largest planetJupiter - King of
the Gods
Saturn slowest planetSaturn - God of
Time
NAMES OF THE DAYS OF THE WEEK The days of the week are Saxon. They are
named after the Sun, Moon and planets.
Lundi – Monday (Moon-day)
Mardi – Tuesday
Mercredi – Wednesday
Jeudi - Thursday
Vendredi - Friday
Saturday
Sunday
MONTHS OF THE YEAR When you look at September, October, November
and December, it seems as if the Romans couldn't count! But their year used to start in March. When Julius Caesar, ruler of Rome reorganized the calendar and made it start in January, he kept the old names, apart from one month, which he called after himself.
The next ruler of Rome, Augustus that came after Julius Caesar and changed the name of another month. Of course, he named a month after himself. Can you guess?
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
MarchMars,
God of War
Start of year for soldiers
(no fighting during winter
months)
AprilAperire
meaning open
This is the month when
trees & flowers “open”
their leaves
May Maia,
Goddess of Growth
The month when trees
and flowers start to grow
JuneJuno,
Queen of the Gods
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
JulyJulius Caesar,
Ruler of Rome
He reorganized
the calendar.
AugustAugustus,
Ruler of Rome
after Caesar
He thought he was
at least as
important as
Julius Caesar!
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
September Septem = 7
October Octo = 8
November Novem = 9
December Decem = 10
MONTHS OF THE YEAR
JanuaryJanus,
God of Doors
This month opens
the year.
FebruaryFebruo
meaning purify
This was a Roman
month of sacrifices
and purification.
MINERALS
Planet Saturn Jupiter Mars Moon Venus Mercury Sun
Metal
Lead Tin Iron Silver Copper Cinnabar Gold
Gemstone
Turquoise Cornelian Emerald
Rock
crystal Amethyst Lodestone Diamond
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
http://www.unrv.com/culture/minor-roman-god-list.php
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/index.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/5679/