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Roman Mythology
Intro to Myth
The Gods
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Zeus
Hera
Poseidon
Hades
Demeter
Hestia
Aphrodite
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Jupiter/Jove (vocab: jovial)
Juno
Neptune
Pluto/Dis (vocab: plutocratic)
Ceres (vocab: cereal)
Vesta
Venus (vocab: venereal)
The Gods, con’t
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Athena
Hephaestus
Apollo
Artemis
Ares
Dionysus
Hermes
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Minerva/Pallas/Athene
Vulcan (vocab: volcano)
Apollo/Phoebus
Diana
Mars (vocab: martial)
Bacchus (vocab: bacchanalian)
Mercury (vocab: mercurial)
Minor Roman Gods
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Flora: goddess of
plants (vocab: flora)
Fauna: goddess of
animals (vocab: fauna)
Aurora: goddess of the
dawn (vocab: auroral)
Cupid: Venus’s son;
makes people fall in
love (vocab: cupidity)
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Somnus: god of sleep
(vocab: somnambulate)
Maia: goddess of
growth
Morpheus: god of
dreams (vocab:
morphine)
Saturn: Latin name for
the Titan Cronus
The Origin of the
Months
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January = Janus 
February = Roman
festival of Februs 
March = Mars
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April = unknown
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May = Maia
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June = Juno
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July = Julius Caesar’s
birth month
August = Augustus
Caesar’s lucky month
September = Septem (7)
October = Octo (8)
Novemeber = Novem (9)
December = Decern (10)
Roman Mythology
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Romans adopted the Greek gods and
stories because they had few stories of
their own
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They also adopted gods from other
cultures, such as Egypt
The characteristics of the Greek gods
changed somewhat as Roman gods
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For example, Mars (Ares) was much more
popular and respected with the Romans
Roman Religion
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Romans believed the world was full of
numina, spirits, that could influence
humans
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Rituals were performed to keep these
spirits happy and gain favor from them
Roman religion was very home based
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The head of the household was
responsible for performing rituals, etc.
Roman Religion, Cont.
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Because of the importance of the
home, there were some differences
between the Greek and Roman gods
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Vesta (Hestia) was much more important
Janus was a double-faced god of
doorways who kept evil out of the home
Manes, spirits of dead ancestors, were
thought to protect the home
The Mythical Founding of Rome
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In Roman mythology Romulus and Remus were the
twin sons of Mars and the founders of the city of Rome.
Their mother, Rhea Silvia, was the only daughter of
King Numitor of Alba Longa.
Numitor's brother Amulius seized the throne and forced
Rhea Silvia to become a Vestal Virgin.
He wanted to make sure that she had no children who
would have a claim to the throne.
However, Rhea Silvia was raped by Mars and gave
birth to Romulus and Remus.
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When Amulius found out about the twins, he
ordered that they be thrown into the Tiber
River to drown.
The boys floated downstream, coming ashore
near a sacred fig tree.
A she-wolf and a woodpecker—creatures
sacred to Mars—fed the twins and kept them
alive until a shepherd found them.
Faustulus, the shepherd, and his wife raised
the boys.
They grew up to be brave and bold.
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The twins became involved in local conflicts
and led a group of youths on raids, including a
raid on a herd of cattle that belonged to
Numitor.
Remus was caught and brought before
Numitor.
In questioning the young man, Numitor
realized that Remus was his grandson.
Shortly afterward, the twins led a revolt
against Amulius in which they killed him and
put Numitor back on the throne.
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Romulus and Remus wanted to found a city of
their own, so they returned to the place where
Faustulus had discovered them.
An omen determined that Romulus should be the
founder of the new city.
He marked out the city boundaries and began to
build a city wall.
When Remus jumped over the unfinished wall,
mocking his brother for thinking that it could keep
anyone out of the city, Romulus killed him.
Romulus became the sole leader of the new city,
named Rome.
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To populate Rome, Romulus invited people who
had fled from nearby areas to live there.
However, most of these settlers were men. The city
needed women.
Romulus invited the Sabine people, who lived in
neighboring towns, to come to Rome for a great
festival.
While the Sabine men were enjoying themselves,
the Romans seized the Sabine maidens, drove the
men from the city, and married their women.
The event became known as The Rape of the
Sabine Women.
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The Sabine men planned revenge and staged
several small but unsuccessful raids.
Then Titus Tatius, the Sabine king, led an army
against Rome.
The Romans were losing the battle when Romulus
prayed to Jupiter for help.
At that point, the Sabine women stepped in.
They pleaded with the warring men to stop, for
they could not bear to see their fathers and
husbands killing one another.
The two sides agreed to a peace in which the
Sabines and Romans formed a union, with Rome
as the capital.
Virgil
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Virgil wrote the
Aeneid
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Based on the Iliad
Written from 29-19
B.C.
Written to praise
Augustus Caesar and
the greatness of
Rome
Ovid
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Famous Roman poet
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Lived from 43 B.C. to 17 A.D.
Most famous work is the Metamorphoses
Was banned from Rome for his offensive
writings
Much of Ovid’s work has been redone
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For example, Romeo and Juliet is based on
Ovid’s “Pyramus and Thisbe”