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Romans feared the gods because they had no scientific explanations for the physical phenomenon around them. They didn't understand why there were hot and dry seasons, why an eclipse happened, why a volcano erupted. These events that modern man understand and can accurately predict were a source of great fear to the Romans. They worshipped gods believing that they could influence these superior beings and controlled events. Unlike in Egypt, the rulers or nobility were never considered gods.
The Roman gods were very similar to the Greek gods. Some people say that they took the Greek gods and just renamed them. Below is a list of some of the Roman gods and goddesses and their Greek counterpart.
| R O M A N |
|
G R E E K |
|
| Jupiter |
|
Zeus |
|
The king of all gods
|
| Juno |
|
Hera |
|
Goddess of childbirth and a primary goddess of Rome
|
| Mars |
|
Ares |
|
God of war
|
| Venus |
|
Aphrodite |
|
Goddess of love and beauty
|
| Cupid |
|
Eros |
God of love
|
| Bacchus |
|
Dionysus |
God of the harvest and fertility and the theater
|
| Minerva |
|
Athena |
Goddess of wisdom, crafts, trades and industry and guided warriors in battle
|
| Mercury |
|
Hermes |
The messenger
|
| Neptune |
|
Poseidon |
God of the sea
|
| Diana |
|
Artemis |
Goddess of the hunt and woodland fertility
|
| Pluto |
|
Hades |
God of the underworld and death
|
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