Roman Mythology

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Ancient Roman Mythology and Legends
The history, myths and legends that feature in Roman Mythology of gods, goddesses, heroes & supernatural creatures

Roman Mythology
Discover the legends, history and myths surrounding the Roman gods and goddesses, heroes and the legendary monsters and terrible creatures who are referred to in the stories of Roman Mythology. This article provides an overview of facts and interesting information about Roman Mythology, history and legends. A fast overview and dictionary of Roman mythology, a who's-who of the characters and names of legendary stories that feature in the world of Roman mythology including the heroes and demigods of myth stories and legends. For detailed facts and information about gods and goddesses refer to the following:

Gods and Deities

Roman Gods and Goddesses

Myths & Stories

Ancient Greek Gods and Goddesses

 

 

Ancient Roman Mythology
This article provides a fast overview and dictionary Roman mythology detailing the names of the gods, goddesses, heroes and legendary creatures stories that feature in the world of Roman mythology and legends of history. The Romans habitually adopted different ideas, culture, mythology and religions from other cultures and civilisations. This included the assimilation of the gods and goddesses that were worshipped by other nations, especially those from ancient Greek mythology. The Romans identified their own gods and goddesses with those of the Greeks, adapting the myths, legends and stories told about them and importing them into their own culture. The Roman gods and goddesses not adopted from other religions were called di indigetes.

The head of Medusa, the Gorgon

Picture of the head of Medusa, the Gorgon, who was slain by the hero Perseus

Ancient Roman Mythology
The stories found in Roman mythology are therefore similar to many found in ancient Greek mythology but more emphasis is placed on the political development of the Roman government and the Roman state religion with particular focus on the moral expectations of the Romans. Roman mythology contains their creation myth and the story of the birth of Romulus and Remus and the founding of the city of Rome. The following charts provides an A - Z of Famous Gods, mythical Creatures & Names featured in Roman Mythology and Roman history.

Roman Mythology
Who were the creatures and gods who featured in the stories of Roman Mythology? The following chart provides a description and definition of the different gods, goddesses, heroes and mythical creatures of Roman mythology.

A - Z of Famous Gods, Creatures & Names from Roman Mythology

Roman Mythology

A

AchillesAchilles was a demigod and the son of Thetis, a minor sea-goddess and Peleus, the king of Myrmidons
AeneidThe Aeneid is an epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who travelled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans
AbundantiaAbundantia, the Roman goddess of abundance and prosperity
AeacusAeacus was a demigod and the son of a son of Jupiter and Aegina who was the daughter of a river god in Mythology.  He was the father of Telamon and Peleus and grandfather of Ajax and Achilles
AesculapiusAesculapius, the god of healing and medicine
AeneasAeneas was a demigod and the son of the goddess Venus and Prince Anchises
AmphionAmphion was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and Antiope
ArcasArcas was a demigod in Mythology and a son of Jupiter and Callisto a nymph and minor goddess associated with Venus
ApolloApollo, god of poetry, music, and oracles
AuroraAurora, goddess of the dawn
AppiasAppias was one of the Crinaeae and a naiad who lived in the Appian Well outside the temple to Venus Genitrix in the Roman Forum

Roman Mythology

B

BlemmyaeThe Blemmyae was a tribe which became fictionalized as a race of creatures believed to be headless monsters who had eyes and mouths on their chest
BacchusBacchus, god of wine
BellonaBellona war goddess

Roman Mythology

C

 

Caucasian EagleThe Caucasian Eagle was an eagle that every day ate the liver of Prometheus in Mytholog
CacusCacus was a fire-breathing giant and the son of Vulcan who was killed by Hercules after terrorizing the Palatine Hill before the founding of Rome
ClymeneClymene was a demigod and the daughter of the Titan gods Oceanus and Tethys
CeresCeres, goddess of the harvest and mother of Proserpina
CerberusCerberus was the many-headed dog which guarded the gates of Hades in Mythology
CharonCharon, the ferryman
CentaurIn Mythology a centaur was a creature, part human and part horse
Crommyonian SowCrommyonian Sow was a wild pig killed by Theseus
CupidCupid, god of love and the son of Venus
Colchian DragonThe Colchian Dragon guarded the Golden Fleece in Mythology
CybeleCybele, goddess of fertility in Roman Mythology
CoriolanusCoriolanus, a story of Roman story of politics and morality
ChimeraThe Chimera was a fire breathing beast that was part lion, part goat, and had a snake-headed

Roman Mythology

D

DardanusDardanus was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and Electra who was the daughter of Atlas
DiscordiaDiscordia was the Goddess of Strife and Discord
DianaDiana, goddess of the hunt, the moon, virginity

Roman Mythology

E

EpaphusEpaphus was a demigod and a son of  Jupiter and Io, a priestess of the goddess Juno in Roman Mythology
EchidnaEchidna was the mother by Typhon and of many monstrous offspring

Roman Mythology

F

 

FaunThe faun was a rustic forest god, half human–half goat, of Roman mythology
FaunaFauna, goddess of nature and animals
FaunusFaunus, god of flocks
FloraFlora, goddess of flowers
FortunaFortuna, goddess of fortune

Roman Mythology

G

 

GorgonsThe Gorgons were three winged sister monsters, and Medusa, who had live snakes for hair in Roman Mythology
GratiaeGratiae, Roman term for the Charites or Graces
The GraeaeThe Graeae  were three gray witches in Mythology who possessed on one eye between them, consulted by the hero Perseus

Roman Mythology

H

Helen of TroyHelen of Troy was a demigod and a daughter of Jupiter and Leda who was queen of Sparta
HekateHekate, goddess of Magic and the moon in Roman Mythology
HarmoniaHarmonia was a demigod and a daughter of Jupiter and Electra
HerculesHercules (Heracles in Greek) was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmene
HoratiusThe story of Horatius at the bridge related the importance of individual valor to Romans
HyperionHyperion, Titan Lord of light
HydraIn Mythology the Hydra was the many-headed sea monster which when one of its heads was cut off grew two more

Roman Mythology

I

IasusIasus was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and Electra (one of the seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione). He was the brother of Dardanus

Roman Mythology

J

 

JanusJanus, double-faced or two-headed god of beginnings and endings and of doors in Roman Mythology
JuventusJuventas, goddess of Youth
JunoJuno, Queen of the Gods and goddess of matrimony, and one of the Dii Consentes
JupiterJupiter, King of the Gods and the storm, air, and sky god

Roman Mythology

L

 

Lernaean HydraIn Mythology the Lernaean Hydra was the many-headed sea monster which when one of its heads was cut off grew two more
LunaLuna, goddess of the moon
LucretiaLucretia, whose self-sacrifice prompted the overthrow of the early Roman monarchy and led to the establishment of the Republic
LaresLares, household gods
LatonaLatona goddess of motherhood and modesty
LadonIn Mythology Ladon was the dragon which guarded the golden apples in the Garden of the Hesperides

A - Z of Famous Gods, Creatures & Names from Roman Mythology

Ancient Roman Mythology
The following chart provides a description and definition of the different gods, goddesses, heroes and mythical creatures of Roman mythology.

A - Z of Famous Gods, Creatures & Names from Roman Mythology

Roman Mythology

M

 

Mater MatutaMater Matuta was an indigenous Roman goddess in Roman Mythology, whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the dawn goddess Aurora
MarsMars the God of War
MemnonMemnon was a demigod in Mythology and the son of Tithonus and Eos who was a Titan goddess of the dawn
MercuryMercury, messenger of the gods and bearer of souls to the underworld
MetamorphosesMetamorphoses is a Latin narrative poem in fifteen books by the Roman poet Ovid
Mucius ScaevolaMucius Scaevola, who thrust his right hand into the fire to prove his loyalty to Rome
MinervaMinerva, goddess of wisdom, war, the arts in Roman Mythology
MedusaMedusa was one of the Gorgons  in Mythology, a winged monster who had live snakes for hair who could turn men to stone, slain by the hero Perseus
MithrasMithras, god of soldiers, light, truth, and honor
Marcus CurtiusMarcus Curtius was a mythological young Roman who sacrificed himself to the Underworld gods of Hades

Roman Mythology

N

 

Nemean lionThe Nemean lion was an enormous lion in Mythology who was strangled by Hercules as the first of his 12 labors.
NeptuneNeptune, god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses
Numa PompiliusNuma Pompilius was the Sabine second king of Rome who consorted with the nymph Egeria and established many of Rome's legal and religious institutions

Roman Mythology

O

 

OrionOrion was a demigod and a son of the sea god Neptune and Euryale  in Mythology
OrpheusOrpheus was a demigod and a son of Calliope and the god Apollo in Roman Mythology
OvidOvid was a Roman poet who told stories of Roman mythology
OrthrusOrthrus was the two-headed dog which guarded the Cattle of Geryon  in Mythology

Roman Mythology

P

 

PerseusPerseus was a demigod  in Mythology and a son of Jupiter and Danae
ProserpinaProserpina, Queen of the Dead and a grain-goddess
ParcaeThe Parcae (Roman equivalent of the Moirai, the Fates)
PenatesPenates or Di Penates, household gods
Pyramus & ThisbePyramus and Thisbe are two characters of Roman mythology, whose love story is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses
PlutoPluto, god of the Underworld
PolluxPollux was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and the mortal Leda. He was the twin brother of Castor

Roman Mythology

Q

QuirinusIn Roman mythology and religion, Quirinus was an early god of the Roman state

Roman Mythology

R

RomaRoma, personification of the Roman state
Romulus and RemusRomulus and Remus were the twin brothers and central characters of Rome's foundation myth.
Rhea SilviaRhea Silvia was the mythical mother of the twins Romulus and Remus, who founded the city of Rome.

Roman Mythology

S

 

ScyllaScylla was a female sea monster who devoured sailors when they tried to navigate the narrow channel between her cave and the whirlpool Charybdis
Sabine womenThe Rape of the Sabine women was the story that explained the importance of the Sabines in the formation of Roman culture, and the growth of Rome through conflict and alliance
SaturnusSaturnus, the god of time, harvest and agriculture in Roman Mythology
Servius TulliusServius Tullius was the sixth king of Rome, whose mysterious origins were freely mythologized and said to have been the lover of the goddess Fortuna
Sibylline BooksThe Sibylline Books (Libri Sibyllini) were a collection of a collection of prophecies from an Oracle named the Sibyl of Cumae, bearing upon Roman religion and the welfare of Romans and the Roman state

Roman Mythology

T

 

TheseusTheseus was a demigod and a son of Neptune and Aethra
Teumessian foxThe Teumessian fox was destined never to be caught. It was sometimes called the Cadmean vixen
TriviaTrivia, goddess of crossroads
TityosTityos was a demigod and a son of Jupiter and Elara
Tarpeian RockThe Tarpeian Rock was used for the execution of traitors to Rome

Roman Mythology

U

UranusUranus, Primordial god of the sky before Jupiter

Roman Mythology

V

 

VenusVenus, goddess of love, beauty, sexuality, and gardens
VestaVesta, goddess of the hearth, the Roman state, and the sacred fire
VictoriaVictoria, goddess of victory
VulcanVulcan, god of the forge, fire, and blacksmiths

Roman Mythology

XYZ

ZethesZethes was a demigod and a son of Boreas (the Greek god of the cold north wind and the bringer of winter) and Oreithyia, daughter of King Erechtheus of Athens. His brother was Calais in Roman Mythology

A - Z of Famous Gods, Creatures & Names from Roman Mythology

Ancient Roman Mythology

  • Ancient Roman Mythology
  • Names in Roman Mythology
  • The names of the gods, monsters and creatures in Roman Mythology
  • Facts and information about the Roman Mythology of the Ancient World for schools and kids
  • Ancient Roman Mythology
 

 
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