Ancient Rome - Gods and Goddesses

Juno - Juno was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Hera. Juno was Jupiter's wife and queen of the gods. Juno was considered the protector of Rome.

Mars - Mars came from the Greek god Ares. Mars was the god of war and Jupiter and Juno's son.

Mercury - Mercury was the equivalent of the Greek god Hermes. He was the god of trade.

Neptune - Neptune came from the Greek god Poseidon. He was the god of the sea and brother to Jupiter.

Venus - Venus was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Aphrodite. She was the god of love and beauty.

Apollo - Apollo was taken directly from Greek god Apollo. He was the god of music, poetry, and archery. His twin sister was Diana

Diana - Diana was taken from the Greek goddess Artemis. She was goddess of the hunt, archery, and animals.

Minerva - Minerva comes from the Greek goddess Athena. She was the goddess of wisdom.

Ceres - Ceres was the equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter. She was goddess of agriculture and the seasons.

The Imperial Cult worshiped the Emperors of Rome. Starting with Julius Caesar.

Most of the emperors were made into gods except for certain bad ones like Nero and Tiberius. This practice lasted up until Emperor Constantine who converted to Christianity.

Since the Romans had many gods and the Christians believed in just one true God, Christians were often persecuted by Rome. At one point they were told to either worship and sacrifice to the Roman gods or they would be killed. Many were killed in the arenas by lions. When Emperor Constantine came into power he converted to Christianity and the persecution stopped