Mythology
Roman mythology
The Romans had very ancient gods all of their own, like two-faced Janus, and spirits that protected the home, the fields and the boundaries. Then they met the Greeks and gave their own gods many of the Greek stories: Jupiter took on the adventures of Zeus, Venus those of Aphrodite. But the best-loved stories were about the origins of Rome: Aeneas escaping from Troy, the twins fed by the she-wolf. Many months and planets still bear the names of these gods.
Who they were, where, and how we know
The Romans lived in one city, Rome, which according to tradition was founded in 753 BC and which over the centuries conquered the whole Mediterranean. Their religion was made mostly of public rites and temples: doing the right things at the right moment mattered more than telling stories.
That is why many Roman myths are borrowed: in the early centuries the Romans already recognised their own gods in the Greek ones, changing the names (Zeus became Jupiter, Aphrodite Venus). Rome's own stories, such as Aeneas, Romulus and Remus, come to us from Virgil («Aeneid», 29-19 BC), Livy («Ab Urbe condita») and Ovid («Metamorphoses» and «Fasti»).
The main gods were Jupiter, Juno and Minerva, the triad of the Capitoline Hill, then Mars, Venus, Vesta (the fire of the city) and Janus, the two-faced god who guards doors and the beginning of everything.
The cards
JanusRome · god of doorways not scary at all
Jupiterthe Capitoline Hill, Rome · king of the gods a little scary
Marsthe Campus Martius, Rome · god of war a little scary
VenusRome · goddess of love not scary at all
Vesta and the Sacred Firethe Roman Forum · goddess of the hearth not scary at all
Romulus and Remusthe Palatine Hill, Rome · founders a little scary
Aeneasfrom Troy to Lazio · hero a little scary
The Lares and Penatesevery Roman home · household spirits not scary at all
Saturn and the SaturnaliaRome · god of the golden age not scary at all
Faunusthe woods of Lazio · god of woods and shepherds not scary at all
Ceresthe Aventine Hill, Rome · goddess of the harvest not scary at allWho comes from whom
Tap a name: its parents and children light up. Names with a medallion open their card (with a finger: tap them twice).
Places of the myths
- The Capitoline Hill
- the hill where the great temple of Jupiter, Juno and Minerva stood.
- The Palatine Hill
- the hill where, according to tradition, Romulus founded Rome and where the she-wolf's cave, the Lupercal, was.
- The Forum
- the city's main square, with the small round temple of Vesta and its ever-burning fire.
- Lazio
- the land where Aeneas came ashore and where, according to the myth, Saturn reigned in the golden age.
Main sources
- Virgil, Aeneid
- Ovid, Fasti and Metamorphoses
- Livy, History of Rome, Book I
GreekNorseEgyptianCelticMesopotamianHinduJapaneseChineseAztec and MayaAfricanPolynesianAboriginalSlavic
Who's behind this
Ciro Simone Irmici
I build websites, apps and games. I built the Atlas with artificial intelligence and I check every card and every source myself. I am not a scholar of mythology: I tell these legends with respect and always say where they come from. If you know a legend from your town, write to me.
More of my work: free audiobooks on YouTube · ebooks on Gumroad · Apple Books · music on Spotify and YouTube Music