Much of the Roman belief system
had a foundation derived from the Greek civilization. The influence of Greek art
and literature
was so pervasive in Roman culture that their deities were transformed to
correspond with those of the Greeks. However, they didn’t appreciate Greek sounding names and converted these to
better fit their culture.
Greek: Roman:
Ares Mars God of war
Hermes Mercury Zeus’ messenger, patron deity of merchants
Poseidon Neptune God of seas and water
Aphrodite Venus Goddess of love
Although not
always exactly the same, many of the gods they recognized were the same as the
Greeks. As an example, the Greek name for the supreme ruler of the gods was Zeus,
a name
many of you are probably familiar with. In the Roman belief system, he was called
Jupiter and I know all of you have heard this name…A few more examples: