Roman Religion: Fate and Gods

All prayers and sacrifices had to be carried out in a very specific way in order to gain the favour of the Gods. If some part of the prayer or sacrifice was performed incorrectly, it may have the oppo

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Vesta:

Vesta was the secondary deity of the home.

For example, here is a list of what were seen as the most powerful of the Gods, referred to as the Pantheon:

Apollo - god of the arts (especially poetry and music)

Bacchus - god of wine and mysteries

Ceres - goddess of agriculture and fertility

Diana - goddess of the hunt and protector of children

Juno - goddess of marriage; consort of Jupiter

Jupiter - god of the sky; ruler of the Roman pantheon

Mars - god of war

Mercury - god of merchants; messenger of the gods

Minerva - goddess of wisdom, war, and crafts

Neptune - god of the sea and earthquakes

Venus - goddess of love and beauty

Vulcan - god of smiths and metal-workers

In addition to these twelve, the Roman Gods also included a number of household Gods and Spirits, who would watch over individual households. Through their communication with the Gods, Roman people also felt some level of control over the minor events within their lives.

However, one force Roman people had no control over was Fate. Fate, who was believed to be kept by Jupiter, had the power to decide and control every aspect of Roman life. The idea of Fate meant that Romans had no real control over their destiny, but through the interpretations of omens, they believed they were at least able to foresee - to some extent - what fate had in store for them.

Similarly the Penates, spirits of the larder, were placed on the table at mealtimes and thanked daily for keeping the family fed. For example, in Virgil’s Aeneid, Fate has already decreed that Aeneas will reach Italy and found Rome. However, before being given specific names, roles and genders, the Roman Gods took the form of ‘numina’ (spirits). Fate is not always just or deserved, and is non-negotiable and unalterable by Gods and humans. Many Roman leaders passed laws and sent armies to war as a result of the interpretation of signs/omens. On the way, however, the actions of the Gods and humans determine what minor events occur during the course of the journey. The Lares were the spirits of family ancestors, and were represented by figurines. They believed that everything was ‘possessed’ by these numina. She was goddess of the hearth, and as the hearth was important both spiritually (as it was involved in sacrifices) and practically (used for cooking), she was considered very important to Roman homes.

Common topics in this essay:
Fate Gods, Agricultural Gods, Gods Gods, Jupiter Jupiter, Aeneid Fate, Jupiter Sybilline, Genius Genius, Fate Fate, Pantheon Apollo, Roman Gods, roman people, roman society, fate gods, gain favour, roman people believed, aspect roman, gods power, head family, lares penates, roman gods, daily offerings, fate gods played, aspect roman life,

Approximate Word count = 1371
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

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