Mythology
Greek and Roman Gods, Temples, and Festivals: Alike Yet Different by Rose Williams The following discussions are samples from an overall study which is used in my book ‘Gods and Other Odd Creatures.’ Drawings “Gate of Janus Geminus” and “Aedes Vestae”are from the book and may be copied, as may all other drawings in the book. Since the Romans were both polytheistic and tidy, they tended to organize the deities they encountered and to equate them to Roman gods if possible. Thus when they conquered, and were in turn influenced by, the Greeks, they called Greek gods by the names of their Roman counterparts. This process was helped by the fact that fourteen major gods who made up the Twelve Great Olympians of the Greeks and the twelve Di Consentes of the Romans (plus a couple of major extras in each case) were similar in function. But they differed in many ways.
Greek Major Pantheon
Twelve Great Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Hephaestus Athena , Ares and Aphrodite. Two Great Gods: Demeter and Dionysus
Roman Major Pantheon
Di Consentes: Iuppiter, Iuno, Minerva, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Neptunus, Volcanus, and Apollo. (Listed by the Poet Ennius about the 3rd Century, B.C.E.) Two Great Gods: Liber (Bacchus) and Pluto While in function similar, in personality Greek and Roman deities were very different. The Greeks’ Twelve Great Olympians and their two great Earth Gods, Demeter and Dionysus, were all members of one family, being direct descendants of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth).
Greek Gods
The following are excerpts from the Homeric hymns of the 7th century bc The one Orphic Hymn excerpt is ca. 1st century bc
Study Question I:
a) List references to family ties, personal appearance, and direct personal prayers. b) Do the underlined passages, or any other passages, seem strange to your idea of the gods? Explain how. Zeus Homeric Hymn 11 to Dionysus (13-16) The Son of Cronos spoke and nodded, dark-browed.
Greek Major Pantheon
Twelve Great Olympians: Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, Hestia, Apollo, Artemis, Hermes, Hephaestus Athena , Ares and Aphrodite. Two Great Gods: Demeter and Dionysus
Roman Major Pantheon
Di Consentes: Iuppiter, Iuno, Minerva, Vesta, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercurius, Neptunus, Volcanus, and Apollo. (Listed by the Poet Ennius about the 3rd Century, B.C.E.) Two Great Gods: Liber (Bacchus) and Pluto While in function similar, in personality Greek and Roman deities were very different. The Greeks’ Twelve Great Olympians and their two great Earth Gods, Demeter and Dionysus, were all members of one family, being direct descendants of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth).
Greek Gods
The following are excerpts from the Homeric hymns of the 7th century bc The one Orphic Hymn excerpt is ca. 1st century bc
Study Question I:
a) List references to family ties, personal appearance, and direct personal prayers. b) Do the underlined passages, or any other passages, seem strange to your idea of the gods? Explain how. Zeus Homeric Hymn 11 to Dionysus (13-16) The Son of Cronos spoke and nodded, dark-browed.
References: Ancient works cited above Gods and Other Odd Creatures by Rose Williams Lacus Curtius website by Bill Thayer