Roman Goddesses

Unlike the Greek deities the original Roman goddesses did not have distinctive personalities, human form, family histories or myths about their lives. Instead these deities were manifestations of what the Romans termed "numina", the divine essence that could be found in all living things and places. An example of the Numina is Pomona the Goddess of Fruit trees, orchards and gardens.

This belief in numina helps explain why there were so many early Roman deities, as each represented different aspects of the natural world.

Early Roman mythology did not contain tales of the lives of magical gods. Instead they were presented as the history of Rome's creation and concerntrated on the rituals and religious practices.

The nature of these early Roman deities was also closely linked to the physical needs of people, concentrating on areas like the agriculture and motherhood.

Remaining accounts of early worship of these beings suggests it was highly ritualized to reflect the complex relationships between different groups of gods.

The Romans also had numerous festivals dedicated to their different gods and goddesses.

Later the Romans borrowed heavily from other traditions especially the Greeks. However it was the rule of Rome by the Etrusian kings that was first to influence Roman worship. They began by adapting three of the Etruscan gods and making them the focus of their religion. This triad included Juno and Minerva.

As the Roman Empire continued to expand they came into contact with new belief systems and ideas. Instead of destroying these religions and cults they absorbed and adopted many of them, including those of the Greeks.

This explains why many Roman Deities have Greek equivalents. Including Venus, (Aphrodite), Ceres, (Demeter), Diana (Artemis)and Vesta (Hestia).

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