Honoring their gods was a big part
 of ancient Roman daily life

 

There were many thousands of Roman gods. The gods lived everywhere - in trees, under a bush, by the side of the road, in a burrow, in a flower, in a stream, under the bed, and perhaps even in the stove in your house. There was even a deity who lived inside the latch that opened the door to each home.  In ancient Rome, everything had a spirit in charge of it. Remember Io, the little spirit who Jupiter turned into a little white cow? Io’s job, before her run in with the gods, was to guard the creek where she lived.

Temples: There were impressive temples all over the Roman Empire.  Every day, the ancient Romans brought offerings of meat and other items to at least one nearby temple, and usually more than one temple. 

Household Gods: Each home had a personal household god that kept things running smoothly at home. Some ancient Romans kept a whole room of their house for a grand display to honor their household god. Others had a small display somewhere in the kitchen. Whenever the ancient Romans prepared a meal, they ate it in honor of the household god. 

New Gods: Not all of the gods that the ancient Romans worshiped were originally Roman gods. The Romans did a lot of traveling as they expanded  their empire. Each time the Romans heard a myth about a god or goddess or spirit or deity from the people they met (and conquered), if they liked it, they adopted it and made it their own. They enjoyed the Celtic gods. 

But, when they heard about the Greek gods - they adopted them all! The Roman changed many of the Greek god names to Roman names. Zeus became Jupiter. Hera was renamed Juno. But the Romans left their personalities intact, along with their position, and all of the myths and legends. 

Who's Who - Roman Deities

Religion in Ancient Rome - Gods and Goddesses

The story of Jupiter, Juno, and little Io 

Greek to Roman Gods Matching 

Greek Myths. The stories are the same. Only the names have changed.

Greek & Roman Gods - Same gods, different names 

Greek & Roman Mythology (Powerpoint)

Roman Mythology

Fact Monster - The Gods

Roman Gods

Roman Gods