Question about the Roman gods?

[The Augusta]

Ursus - following on from my post above: as our resident expert in this area, are you able to shed any light on a pre-Roman worship of any kind of sun-god? In fact on any ancient pre-Roman Italian religion at all? Is it that we simply have no evidence for the culture and beliefs of the peoples of the peninsular before the arrival of the Etruscans and Greeks?

 

Any help you can give would be appreciated.

[Ursus]

Ursus - following on from my post above: as our resident expert in this area, are you able to shed any light on a pre-Roman worship of any kind of sun-god?

 

 

There was in early Rome a temple of "Sol et Luna" - Sun and Moon. This sol must have been akin to the Greek helios - a primitive solar deity, and not especially important except to rustic peasants in their seasonal rites. The evidence of this cult outside Rome is minimal, and was overtaken in imperial times by Oriental solar worship (Sol Invictus).

 

 

In fact on any ancient pre-Roman Italian religion at all?

Some, known from votive dedications in the native, pre-Latin languages. Jupiter as sky god and Mars as war god seem to have been widespread. Some Italic tribes knew Hercules and the Dioscuri. Female deities comparable to Juno, Venus, Diana and Ceres are widespread. Italic religions seem to have been very similar to Roman religion in cult and practice, and were therefore easily assimilated by the Romans.

[Nephele]

There was in early Rome a temple of "Sol et Luna" - Sun and Moon. This sol must have been akin to the Greek helios - a primitive solar deity, and not especially important except to rustic peasants in their seasonal rites. The evidence of this cult outside Rome is minimal, and was overtaken in imperial times by Oriental solar worship (Sol Invictus).

 

Ursus, question for you... Was there ever any direct connection between this "Sol et Luna" temple at Rome and a representation of Apollo and Diana as "Sun and Moon" twin siblings?

 

I ask, because it's my understanding that a significant difference between the Greek and Roman versions of Apollo is that, while the original Sabine and Latin goddess Diana was later identified with the Greek Artemis and shared many of her attributes, the brother-sister relationship between Apollo and Artemis for the Greeks wasn't the same between Apollo and Diana for the Romans. And, in fact, Apollo had very little to do with Diana in her cult worship as Diana Nemorensis.

 

-- Nephele

[Gaius Octavius]

If you can get it: "The Ancient City - A Classic Study of the Religions and Civil Institutions of Ancient Greece and Rome" by Numa Denis Fustel De Coulanges, 1956. (The name of the author is not a joke.)

 

The author holds that each community's gods were distinct from those of other communities, e.g., the Zeus of Athens and the Zeus of Corinth were two completely different entities, but did share attributes.

 

When a city fell, it was because its gods had deserted the city.

 

Some ancient religious practices are still extant today. Carrying a bride over ones threshhold is one of these practices. It indicated that the bride is/was abandonig her family's gods and adopting those of her husband.

Edited June 7, 2007 by Gaius Octavius