Ancient Rome - Gods and Goddesses

Ancient Rome - Gods and Goddesses

The Romans believed in lots of gods. There were gods for just about everything. The Romans even took on many of the gods of the people they conquered. They especially liked the GREEK GODS. Many Romans had a shrine in their house to worship their personal household god.

Roman Gods

The Romans adopted much of Greek Mythology into their own. They took most all of the Greek gods, gave them Roman names, and then called them their own. Here are a few of major Roman gods that came from the Greeks:

Jupiter

Came from the Greek god Zeus. Jupiter was the king of the gods and god of thunder and lighting. He was the Patron God of Rome.

Mars

Mars came from the Greek god Ares. Mars was the god of war and Jupiter and Juno's son.

Mercury

Mercury was the equivalent of the Greek god Hermes. He was the god of trade.

Neptune

Neptune came from the Greek god Poseidon. He was the god of the sea and brother to Jupiter. He also was the patron of horses. Neptune's weapon was a great trident.

Venus

Venus was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was the god of love and beauty.

Saturn

Saturn was originally the Greek god Chronos. Saturn was the god of time, wealth and agriculture.

Uranus

Uranus is associated with the Roman god Caelus. This means that Uranus is Greek god, the only god named after a planet that is not in Ancient Roman Mythology.

Pluto

Pluto came from the Greek god Hades. Pluto was the god of of the underworld.

• All of the planets, except for Earth, were named after Roman gods and goddesses.

• Jupiter, Saturn, Mars, Venus and Mercury were given their names thousands of years ago. Those were the planets that the ancient Romans could see in the sky without a telescope.

• Neptune and Pluto was not discovered until much later, when telescopes were invented. Even then, the tradition of naming the planets after Roman gods and goddesses continued.

Multiple Choice

3. What civilization did the Romans borrow many of their gods such as Jupiter from?

• Chinese

• Egyptian

• Greek

• Persian

Multiple Choice

Who was the king of the gods and god of thunder and lighting?

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Neptune

• Mercury

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of war?

• Mars

• Venus

• Neptune

• Saturn

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of trade?

• Mars

• Jupiter

• Venus

• Mercury

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of the sea?

• Saturn

• Neptune

• Mars

• Mercury

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of love and beauty?

• Saturn

• Mars

• Venus

• Jupiter

Multiple Choice

Who is the only Greek god named after a planet?

• Mars

• Uranus

• Saturn

• Jupiter

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of time, wealth and agriculture?

• Mercury

• Mars

• Neptune

• Saturn

Multiple Choice

Who was the god of the underworld?

• Mars

• Mercury

• Pluto

• Saturn

Poll

How do you feel about Ancient Roman Gods and Goddesses?

• Great!

• So-So.

• Confused?