Religion and Philosophy

Mercury is based on the Greek God Hermes and was known as “the messenger of the Gods.” Mercury was also the Roman God of luck, wealth, thieves, and travelers.

The Roman god of war was named Mars. In Roman mythology, Mars was the father of Romulus and Remus, the two supposed founders of Rome.

Inspiration for Mars was taken from Ares, the god of war in Ancient Greek Mythology. The myths and legends of Ares were often taken and reinterpreted in Roman literature with Mars taking the place of Ares.

The Roman God Janus was principally the God of doors and gateways. In Roman tradition Janus also rules over beginnings and ends, making him the natural God to be celebrated at the end of a war. Janus has no equivalent in Greek mythology.

The “tripartite” system of government in the Roman Republic refers to the separation of political power into the hands of the Senate (comprised of aristocratic patrician families), the Consuls (who replaced the function of king in the Roman monarchy), and Assemblies (which were made up of representatives of the common people of Rome). The separation of power was an important political concept to the Romans and has inspired the structure of governments ever since (including the structure of the modern United States’ government).

The Romans viewed Christianity as a powerful threat, even during Christ’s lifetime. The Romans were concerned by Christ’s claim that individuals owed their allegiance to God and the Kingdom of Heaven, rather than to the Roman Emperor. They were also worried that Christ might inspire an earthly rebellion in the Judean province of the Roman Empire. Finally, the Romans were appalled that Jesus denied the divinity of the Roman Emperor.

Household shrines and ancestor worship were important components of worship in the Roman Republic. The early Romans placed a great deal of emphasis on family life and on connection with one’s ancestral past. They believed that ancestors had to be placated and appeased or else they would “haunt” the family home in destructive ways.

The Roman God Saturn is one of the earliest Gods in the mythology of ancient Rome. Saturn was viewed as the God of wealth, time, agriculture, and the city of Rome. The equivalent of Saturn in Greek mythology is the God Cronos.

In the Roman pantheon of Gods, Jupiter was the chief God. Jupiter is based on the Greek God Zeus. Many of the Gods in the Roman pantheon were either drawn from, or later equated to, Gods from Greek mythology.

St. Peter is claimed as the first Pope by the Roman Catholic Church. St. Peter, according to church tradition, travelled to Rome, where he established the first Christian church in the city. He was then captured, on Nero’s orders, and crucified upside down. Peter and his fellow disciple Paul are credited with leading the initial spread of Christianity in the wake of Jesus’ death.

Diana was the Roman Goddess of hunting, the moon, nature, and wild animals. After the Roman conquest of Greece, Diana came to be associated with the Greek Goddess Artemis.