Gabriella Karanikos

Mr. Cian
Latin III
12/13/16
Roman mythology is a prominent part of ancient history filled with a wealth of
fictional gods who were used to explain the complex mechanisms of the world around
Roman Society. Within the mythology certain gods control certain aspects of life. The
most famous examples would be Jupiter: God of the Sky, Persephone: Goddess of the
underworld, and Minerva: the Goddess of Wisdom. Greece and its culture had an
impactful influence on Roman Society. This meant that the romans adopted a variety of
things from ancient Greece, including their own gods and goddesses. Before Rome came
into contact with Greek culture, their gods were not associated so much with myths, they
were closely related to cults. However, when Rome began to militarize and create their
own war economy rather than agriculture, they came into contact with Greeces own set
of all powerful mythological gods it marked a new era for Roman mythology.
In Ancient Greece, Jupiter and Minerva would be known as Zeus and Athena. The
Romans changed the names of many Greek Gods to Romanize names to better fit their
culture. Roman mythology is not only composed of Gods and Goddesses. Within it there
are also stories that also had a lot of Ancient Greek influence. Just like Greece, Rome had
their own patron deity. They built temples for the particular God and performed rituals to
honor that specific God.

Even though Greece played such a large role in shaping Roman mythology, there
was some things that originated from Rome itself. An example of this is the God Janus.
He was known as the two-faced god of doorways and gates. He could see the past and
future, and was valued for his wisdom. Because of his wisdom, he presided all over the
beginnings of all events within history. Vesta is another example of a goddess that
originated in Roman society. She was known as the Goddess of the hearth and family life
and according to Roman culture she was regarded as the earth itself, or the sacred sphere.
Water gods were also highly regarded by farmers across the land for their role in
ancient Roman agriculture. This was because each river and spring had its own deity
bonded within it. If farmers needed to get water they had to appease the gods and goddess
through a series of offerings in order to guarantee a good harvest. Overall, even though
the Greeks had a lot to do with Roman mythology and the way that it was developed,
Rome and its people created new unique and incredible deities able to shape the way
Romans lived out their lives along with the land around them. Earthquakes, droughts,
famine, all had reasons for beginning in the first place.
One such example of the mythologys explanation of the world around Roman
lives is the goddess Persephone, and her tragic tale of how she became queen of the
Underworld. According to myth, she was unknowingly abducted by the god of the
underworld (Hades) infuriating her mother resulting in her making the crops wither away
to nothing, quite literally turning the earth barren. Due to this occurrence, Jupiter
intervened and tried to bring persephone back to the land of the living. However,
Persephone had eaten the pomegranate seeds that were given to her by Hades which

bound her to the underworld for one-third of the year. Persephone was then to spend eight
months in the world of the living with her mother allowing Spring, Summer, and fall to
occur. After she must spend four months in the underworld with Hades. The four months
that are spent in the underworld, correspond to winter. This is because her mother is upset
and grieving, causing all of the plants to dissipate into the skeletons of their former lifelike selves and the earths grueling season to come upon the people of the world once
again.
This myth is significant to life today, as it is symbolic of the changing seasons,
and the perennial change from life to death, and then back to life. This is seen in the
changes from summer to winter, which is when things go from living to death, and then
in the springtime when life comes back once again.
Neptune is another god that is a significant part of Roman mythology. He was
originally the God of fresh water, but by 399 BCE he was identified with the Greek god
Poseidon and became a deity of the sea. Neptune had a festival that took place every year
in the heat of the summer (July 23rd) when the water was more scarce. The purpose of
the festival was to show that Neptune could control water, and to ensure that there would
be enough freshwater for everyone in the city. In Rome, Neptune had a temple dedicated
to him in the Circus Flaminius. The main feature of this temple is the sculptured group of
marine deities headed by Poseidon/Neptune and Thetis. However, whenever Neptune
appears in art he appears as the Greek poseidon, whose two main attributes are the trident
and the dolphin. Neptune is also known for the creation of horses.

Roman Mythology is a collection of different cultures, most famously Greek

culture strung together to create a unique and colorful mythos to teach change, but show
the inhabitants around the world how they can affect the planet they live on. Whether it is
the gods and goddesses, or the artwork that represents the time period, Roman mythology
is something that can be studied for thousands of years.

Work Cited:
http://www.ancient.eu/Roman_Mythology/
http://www.ancient.eu/persephone/
http://www.greekmythology.com/Other_Gods/Persephone/persephone.html
http://www.roman-empire.net/children/gods.html