Roman God: Jupiter Greek name : Zeus

King of all the Gods• Brother of Neptune and

Pluto• Wife; Juno• Lots of children• He was the master of the

gods and the main god of the Romans. He held thunderbolts which he could hurl from the sky.

Roman Goddess: JunoGreek name : Hera

Queen of all the Gods• Husband; Jupiter• Many stories of jealousy,

anger and revenge• She was the wife of Jupiter,

the goddess of women and fertility. Protector of marriage, spent most of her time punishing the many women Jupiter fell in love with.

Roman God: NeptuneGreek name : Poseidon

Lord of the Sea• Brother to Jupiter and Pluto• Good looking• Very powerful• Many wives• Sailors and people who

lived near the sea were terrified of Neptune

• He was the powerful god of the sea. His symbol was the trident

Roman God: PlutoGreek name : Hades

God of the Underworld• Brother of Jupiter and

Neptune• He had his faithful and

deeply loved companion, his three-headed dog, Cerberus.

• He was the god of the underworld and the judge of the dead. He was also the god of mined metals like gold and silver- the physical underworld.

Roman God: MarsGreek name : Aries

God of War• Son of Jupiter and Juno • Tall, handsome, mean

and self centred• Did not care who won a

battle, just liked bloodshed

• He was the god of war, the strongest and most fearsome god, except for Jupiter.

Roman Goddess; VenusGreek name : Aphrodite

Goddess of Love and Beauty• Daughter of Jupiter• Could be kind and

harsh• She was the goddess

of love and beauty.

Roman Goddess: MinervaGreek name : Athena

Goddess of Wisdom• Daughter of Jupiter• No mother• Born out of Jupiter’s

brain• Jupiter’s favourite child• She was the goddess of

wisdom, learning, art crafts and industry. Her symbol was the owl.

Roman Goddess: CeresGreek name : Demeter

Goddess of Harvest• Very popular with the

plebeians• She was the goddess

of the harvest, always depicted carrying a bundle of grain.

Roman Goddess; DianaGreek name : Artemis

God of Hunting and the Moon• Twin brother; Apollo• Cold and pitiless• She was the

goddess of hunting and a goddess of the moon.

Roman God; MercuryGreek name : Hermes

Messenger of the Gods• Son of Jupiter• Mischievous • He was the messenger of

the gods. The wings on his helmet and sandals allowed him to travel quickly to wherever a god might send him. He was the god of travellers and tradesmen.

Roman Goddess; VestaGreek name : Hestia

Goddess of the Home• Jupiter’s sister• Important to women• Watched over women

sewing and cooking• She was the goddess of

the hearth and home and was very important to Romans. In her temple a flame was always kept burning

Roman God; ApolloGreek name : Apollo

God of Sun, Music and Light• Son of Jupiter • Twin sister – Diana• God of music,

healing, light, and truth. He moved the sun across the sky.

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. The other planets in our solar system were not discovered until much later, when telescopes were invented. Even then, the tradition of naming the planets after Roman gods and goddesses continued.

Religion and DeathWhen you die you are escorted to the River Styx by spirits. There, you are met by Charon, the ferryman. A coin is needed as payment to get across safely.You would pass Cerberus (the 3headed dog) who guarded the gates of the underworldYou will go before the three judges, who will ask you to account for your life.• Elysian Fields (warrior or hero)• Plain of Asphodel (good citizens)• Tartarus (punished by furies)

Religion and DeathFunerals were very important…Romans were cremated/buried with a coin under their tongueAdditional mourners were hired to wail and pull out their hair- that showed your wealth!Actors re-enacted parts of your lifeRomans were dressed in their best so they could make a good impression on the 3 judgesThere would be a big feast and sacrifices to the gods

FACTRoman law said bodies were to be buried outside the city walls- they feared diseases!

Why were the gods so important to the Romans?

The Romans had many gods, for example …….The romans has so many gods because …….