



My second group of roman Gods:





Juno:



Originally an etruscian goddess by the name of Uni, Juno was equated with the greek Hera very early. Thus she became the wife of Jupiter and Queen of the Gods. Her domains are womanhood, marriage and childbirth. While her symbol is the peacock her sacred bird is the goose. According to the historian Livius these sacred geese saved Rome, when they warned the sleeping Romans from invading celts in 387 BC.







Jupiter:

Much like the greek Zeus he is King of the gods and ruler of the sky, god of the weather and wielder of his lightningbolt. His sacred bird is the eagle and his priests - the flamen dialis - are the highest priests in roman religion. Often called upon as Iuputer Optimus Maximus (IOM on Inscriptions) he had a great arrey of bynames and he was the god that was honored with the "triumph" the religious ceremony celebrating a victorious war. Their the laurel wreath associated with roman emperors has its origin as a symbol of Jupiter.





Dea Roma:



The Goddess of the personified city of Rome first appears on coins in 269 BC, since then countless temples have been dedicated to her. She became especially important with the expansion of the roman state, as her worship was used for propaganda in foreign lands. Under Augustus she was called princeps civitas (first among the cities) and she would play an important role in the cult surrounding the roman emperors, with whom she would share temples. She is often depiced with a helmet and spear and smybols of roman identity - for example Romulus and Remus and the She-wolf. She remained a popular motive on coins even after christianization.







Part III will feature two mystery gods from the east: Isis and Mithras

