God of water in ancient Rome. Pantheon of the Gods of Ancient Rome

Psyche (Greek.y u c h, "Soul", "Butterfly"), in Greek mythology personification of the soul, breathing. The ancient Greeks represented their souls of the dead in the form of a butterfly or a flying bird. The souls of the dead in the kingdom of Aida are depicted flying, they are submitted from the blood of victims, fluttering in the form of shadows and phantoms. The souls of the dead go on the whirlwind of ghosts around the chambers, the ghost of Achille in the siege of the Troy appears accompanied by the vortex. Myths about the princess psychrayed about the desire of the human soul to merge with love. For indescribable beauty, people revealed psyche more than Aphrodite. According to one of the versions, the jealous goddess sent her son, the Deity of Love Erota (Amur), excite the passion in the girl to the most ugly of the people, however, seeing beauty, the young man lost his head and forgot his mother's admission. Becoming Psychai's spouse, he did not allow her to look at him. She, burning from curiosity, lit the lamp at night and looked at her husband, without noticing the hot droplet of oil, fell on his skin, and the spouse disappeared. In the end, like Zeus, loving connected. Apuli in "Metamorphosis" retells the myth of the romantic love of Amur and Psychai; Strangers of the human soul, thirsting to meet with their love.

Goddess Femida

In ancient Rome, as in ancient Greece, religion consisted of cults of different gods. At the same time, the Roman Pantheon had a lot of deities similar to Greek. That is, here you can talk about borrowing. It happened because Greek mythology was more ancient than Roman. The Greeks created colonies in Italy, when Rome also did not think about the greatness. Residents of these colonies have spread Greek culture and religion for nearby land, and therefore the Romans became successors of Greek traditions, but interpreted them with local conditions.

The so-called tip of the Gods, corresponding to the Olympic gods of ancient Greece, was the most significant and revered in ancient Rome. Father of Roman poetry Quint Annie (239 - 169 BC. Er) systematized the deities of ancient Rome and introduced six men and six women to this council. He gave them Greek equivalents. This list subsequently confirmed the Roman historian Tit Libya (59 BC. E. - 17 g. E.). Below is a list of this Council of Consciousness, Greek Analogues are given in brackets.

Jupiter (Zeus) - the king of the gods, the god of the sky and the thunder, the son of Saturn and the experience. The main deity of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Rome rulers brought an oath to Jupiter and worshiped it annually in September on the Capitol Hill. He was personally identified with law, order and justice. Rome had 2 temples dedicated to Jupiter. One built in 294 BC. er, and the second was erected in 146 to n. e. This god personified an eagle and oak. His wife and his native sister was Juno.

Juno (Gera) - the daughter of Saturn and the experience, wife and native sister of Jupiter, Queen of the gods. She accounted for Mars and Volcano's mother. He was a protector of marriage, motherhood, family traditions. It is in her honor that the month of June is named. She was part of the Capitol Triad, along with Jupiter and Minerway. In the Vatican there is a statue of this goddess. It is depicted in the helmet and shell. Not only ordinary mortals, but all the gods of ancient Rome read and respected Junon.

Neptune (Poseidon) - the god of the sea and fresh water. Brother of Jupiter and Pluto. The Romans also worshiped Neptune as the god of horses. He was a patron saint of horse racing. In Rome, this god was erected by one temple. He was located near the phlamination circus in the southern part of the Marsh Field. The circus had a small hippodrome. All these structures were built in 221 BC. e. Neptune is an extremely ancient deity. He was a domestic god of Etruscov, and then moved to the Romans.

Ceres (Demeter) - goddess of harvest, fertility, agriculture. We accounted for daughter Saturn and Ope and sister Jupiter. She had the only daughter of Proserpina (the goddess of the underworld Kingdom) from communication with Jupiter. It was believed that Cereter could not see hungry children. This led it to the state of grief. Therefore, she always cared for orphans, surrounded by their care and attention. Every year, the festival dedicated to this goddess was held in April. He lasted 7 days. She was also mentioned during marriages and ritual rites associated with the harvest.

Minerva (Athena) is the goddess of wisdom, patroness of art, medicine, trade, military strategy. Often, the battles of gladiators were held in her honor. Considered a virgin. She was often portrayed with Owl (Owl Minerva), which symbolized wisdom and knowledge. Long before the Romans of this goddess worshiped the Etruscans. The celebrations were held in her honor from March 19 to March 23. This goddess was worshiped at Esquilin Hill (one of the seven rome hills). The temple of Minerva was erected there.

Apollo (Apollo) is one of the main gods of Greek and Roman mythologies. This is the God of Sun, Light, Music, Prophecies, Healing, Art, Poetry. It should be said that the Romans regarding this God took the basis of the tradition of the ancient Greeks and, practically, they were not changed. Apparently they seemed to them extremely successful, and therefore they did not change something in order not to spoil the beautiful legends about this God.

Diana (Artemis) is the goddess of hunting, nature, fertility. She, like Minerva, was a virgin. In total, the gods of ancient Rome had 3 goddesses who took over the vows of celibacy - it is Diana, Minerva and Vesta. They were called maidial goddesses. Diana accounted for daughter of Jupiter and Laton, and was born with the twin brother Apollo. Since she patronized the hunt, it wore a short tunic and hunting boots. With her, it was always onion, quiver and a diadem in the form of a crescent. Accompanied the goddess of deer or hunting dogs. Diana Temple in Rome was erected on Auntine Hill.

Mars (Ares) - God of war, as well as defender of agricultural fields during the early Rome period. It was considered the second most important to God (after Jupiter) in the Roman army. In contrast to Ares, to which he treated with disgust, Mars enjoyed respect and love. With the first Roman emperor, Augustus in Rome was built by the temple of Mars. In the times of the Roman Empire, this deity was considered the guarantor of military power and the world and never mentioned as a conqueror.

Venus (Aphrodite) - the goddess of beauty, love, prosperity, victory, fertility and desires. The Roman people considered her mother through the son of Eney. He survived the drop in Troy and fled to Italy. Julius Caesar claimed that he was the ancestor of this goddess. Subsequently, Venus has become the most popular deity of Roman mythology. She was personified with sexuality and love. The symbols of Venus were pigeon and hare, and from plants Rose and Mac. In honor of this goddess named Planet Venus.

Volcano (Hephaest) - God of fire and the patron of Kuznetsov. It was often depicted with a blacksmith hammer. This is one of the most ancient Roman deities. In Rome, there was a church of a volcano or volcanal, built in the VIII century BC. e. At the place of the future Roman forum at the foot of the Capitol Hill. The festival dedicated to the volcano was celebrated every year in the second half of August. It was this god who said Jupiter with zipper. He also made armor and weapons for other celestials. He equipped his blacksmith in Zherel Etna Volcano on Sicily. And the golden women whom God created himself and created him in their work.

Mercury (Hermes) is a patron of commerce, finance, eloquence, travel, good luck. He also performed the duties of the souls in the underworld. Son of Jupiter and Maya. In Rome, the temple of this God was in a circus located between the Avethansky and the Palatine hills. Built it in 495 BC. e. The festival dedicated to this God was held in mid-May. But he was not so magnificent as for other gods, since Mercury was not considered one of the main deities of Rome. In his honor, they called the planet Mercury.

Vesta (Gestius) - Extremely revered by the ancient Romans goddess. She accounted for sister Jupiter and identified from the goddess of the house and a family hearth. The sacred fire was always buried in her temples, and the priestesses of the goddess were supported by his priestess. It was a whole state of Women-Priests in ancient Rome, which enjoyed continued authority. They were taken from rich families, and they had to abide by chastity for 30 years. If someone from Vestnok violated this oath, then such a woman was buried alive in the ground. The celebrations dedicated to this goddess were held annually from 7 to 15 June.

- Goddess Morning Dawn. The ancient Greeks called the Aurora of the ruddy gourney, the robust goddess EOS. Aurora was the daughter of the titanium of Hipperion and Tayy. For another version of the Sun - Helios and the Moon - Selena).

Artemis - the daughter of Zeus and Lety, the sister of Apollo, between the women's deities the same as her brother between male. She gives light and life, she is the goddess of childbirth and the goddess-Kormilitsa; Accompanied by forest nymphs, hunts in the forests and mountains, guarding herd and game. She never obeyed the strength of love, and, like Apollo, does not know the gon marriage. In Roman mythology - Diana.

Athena - the daughter of Zeus, who did not have a mother. Hephesty slanting Zeus's casual head, and from his head jumped athen in full service. She is the personification of the prudence of Zeus. Athena is the goddess of the mind, war, sciences and arts. In Roman mythology - Minerva.

Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Diana, called it because it seemed that there would be from the sea foam. She is a goddess of beauty, happy love and marriage, superior to all the goddesses of the charm and grace. In Roman mythology - Venus.

Venus - in the Roman mythology of the goddess of gardens, beauty and love, was identified with Mother Enaia Aphrodite. Venus was not only the goddess of beauty and love, but also the patronage of the descendants of the Enai and all the Romans.

Hekata is the goddess of the night, the ruler of the Mraka. Hekata ruled over all the ghosts and monsters, night vision and sorcerence. She was born as a result of the marriage union Titan Persian and Asteria.

Graces - in Roman mythology, well-known goddesses, personifying joyful, kind and eternally young onset of life, daughters of Jupiter, Nymph and goddesses. In ancient Greek mythology - Harites.

Diana - in the Roman mythology of the goddess of nature and hunt, was considered the impersonation of the moon. Diana still accompanied the epithet "Goddess of Three Roads", interpreted as a sign of the triple power Diana: in heaven, on earth and underground.

Irida is the personification of the rainbow connecting the sky with the Earth, the messenger of the gods, meditally in their intercourse between him and with people. This is the newsrier Zeus and Gera and the minister of the latter.

Kibel - the daughter of uranium and gay, the spouse of the Kronos, was considered the great mother of the gods. It is an impersonation of the ordering natural strength of the beginning.

Minerva - in the Roman mythology of the goddess of wisdom, art, war and cities, patroness of artisans.

Mnemozina - in the Greek mythmotmation of the goddess of memory, daughter of uranium and gay, Titanide. Music Music, which she gave birth to Zeus. In terms of the number of nine nights, which Mnemozin gave Zeus, and the music was nine.

Moira - Laisis ("Giving Lot"), CLOTO ("Prying") and Atropos ("inevitable"), daughters of Nite. Moyry are the goddess of fate, natural necessity, eternal and immutable global laws.

Music - goddess and patroness of the arts and sciences. Muses were considered daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory mnemosina.

Nemesis - Goddess Music. The responsibilities of the Goddess included punishment for crimes, observing the honest and equal distribution of benefits among mortals. Nemesis was born in nickname in punishment Kronos.

Persephone - daughter Zeus and Demeters, or Tsetra, Pluto's spouse, or Aida, the Terrible Lady of Shadows, owing the souls of the dead and over the monsters of the underworld, tolerating people with Aid and performing them. In Roman mythology - Proserpina.

Reya - in the ancient myth-making Greek goddess, one of the Titanide, the daughter of uranium and gay, the spouse of the Kronos. The cult of Rei was considered one of the most ancients, but was not very common in Greece itself.

The pidea is one of the oldest deities, Titanide, the daughter of gay and uranium, sister and the ocean spouse, the mother of flows, rivers and three thousand Oceanid, was considered the goddess that gives life to the whole existing.

Themis is the goddess of justice. The Greeks called the goddess of the Temida, the Temis. Themis was the daughter of the god of the sky of uranium and gay. Her daughters were the goddes of fate - Moyra.

Harites - daughters of Zeus and Oceanides of Evrinoma, embodied joyful, kind and eternally the young beginning. The name of these beautiful godesses Aglaya ("shining"), Euphrosina ("Breaking"), a waist ("blooming"), Clatt ("desired") and Peito ("conviction").

Eurmeni - gracious, benevolent goddesses are one of the names of the women's deities, the most famous under the name of Erinia, in the Romans of Furion, which means angry, violent, goddess-avenger.

Erinia - Daughters of the Earth and Mraka, the terrible goddesses of curse, revenge and karas, rebelled against criminals and punishing them only for the sake of restoring moral order in the world, they advantageously actover for violation of the consecrated family rights. In Roman mythology - Fouri.

The site of the encyclopedia of the mythology of the ancient world has placed more than 150 articles on the goddesses of antiquity, which can be found in our mythological dictionary.

Gods of ancient Rome

Introduction

Like the Bible, myths and legends of antiquity have had a huge impact on the development of culture, literature and art. Even in the era of the revival writers, artists, sculptors began to widely use the plots of legends of ancient Romans widely. Therefore, gradually myths became an integral part of European culture, as, in fact, the masterpieces created by their motives. "Perseus and Andromeda" Rubens, "Landscape by Polyfem" Polysen, "Dana" and "Flora" Rembrandt, "Meet Apollo and Diana" K. Bryullova, "Abduction of Europe" V. Serov, "Poseidon Carried by Sea" I. Aivazovsky and Dr.

I. What did Romans believe?

The oldest Roman religion was fundamentally different from Greek. The sober Romans, the wretched fantasy of which did not create a popular epic, similar to "Iliad" and "Odyssey", also did not know mythology. Their gods are lifeless. These were the characters indefinite, without pedigree, without marital and related links, which the Greek gods united in one big family. Often they even had no real names, but only nicknames, as if nicknames that determine the boundaries of their power and action. They did not tell any legends. This is the absence of legends in which we now see the well-known lack of creative imagination, the ancients considered the advantages of the Romans who were in favor of the most religious people. It was from the Romans who went and received the words in all languages \u200b\u200bin all languages: a religion - worship of imaginary supernatural forces and a cult - meaning with the figurative sense to "read", "chew" and involving the fulfillment of religious rites. The Greeks hit this religion, which did not have the myths, sprouting the honor and dignity of the gods. The world of Roman gods did not know the Kronos, who lasted his father and devoured his children, did not know crimes and immorality.

In the ancient Roman religion, the simplicity of hardworking farmers and shepherds reflected, the entirely absorbed by everyday affairs of their modest life. Having lowered his head to the furrow, which his wooden coch was adagging, and to the meadows, on which she was pushing his cattle, the ancient Roman was not tested by the desire to turn his eyes to the stars. He did not read the sun, nor the moon, nor all those heavenly phenomena, which their secrets excited the imagination of other Indo-European peoples. It was enough to have secrets enclosed in the most everyday, everyday affairs and in the nearest environment. If someone from the Romans walked around an ancient Italy, he would see people who were praying in groves, crowned with flowers of Altari, grottoes, crowns, trees decorated with horns and animal skins, whose blood growing under them, hills surrounded by special reverence , stones, clarified by oil.

Everywhere I have done any deity everywhere, and no wonder one of the Latin writers said that in this country it is easier to meet God than a person.

According to the conviction of the Roman, human life in all, even in the most smallest, manifestations submitted the authorities and was under the care of various gods, so that a person at every step depended on any higher strength. Along with such gods as Jupiter and Mars, the power of which more and more increased, there was an innumerable set of less significant gods, spirits driving various actions in life and economy. Their influence concerned only certain points in the processing of the Earth, the growth of cereals, the cultivation of cattle, behavior and human life. The Vatican opened the mouth of the child for the first scream, Cunin was the patronage of the cradle, Rumin took care of the baby's food, Pototin and Educe taught the child to drink and eat after we were offeding from the chest, Cuba watched him from the cradle into bed, Ospago watched the baby's bones correctly Stattan taught him to stand, and Fabulin - to say, Ierduka and Domiduk led the child when he left the house for the first time.

All of these deities were absolutely lightless. The Roman did not dare to assert with complete confidence that he knew the real name of God or that he could distinguish - God or Goddess. In prayers, he also kept the same caution and said: "Jupiter with the greatest or if you want to be called some other name." And bringing a sacrifice, he said: "Do you or Goddess you or Goddess, whether you are or a woman." On Palatina (one of the seven hills, on which the ancient Rome was located) still stands the altar, on which there is no name, but only evasive formula: "God or goddess, husband or a woman," and the gods themselves were to decide Who belongs to the victims brought on this altar. The Greek, a similar attitude towards the Divine was incomprehensible. He knew perfectly that Zeus was a man, and Hera is a woman, and no second in this did not doubt it.

The Roman gods did not go down to the ground and did not show up to people so willingly like Greek. They held away from man and even if they wanted him to warn him, have never been directly: in the depths of the forests, in the dark of the temples, or in the silence of the fields, sudden mysterious exclamations were heard, with whom God filed a warning signal. Between God and man never reached proximity.

Odyssey, which, revengeting with Athena, Diomed, struggling with Aphrodite, all quarrels and intrigues of Greek heroes with an Olympus were not clear for the Roman. If, during the sacrifice or prayer, the Roman closed his head with a cloak, he probably did it not only to focus more, but also to see God's fear if it was pleased to be nearby.

In ancient Rome, all knowledge of the gods harvested in essence to how they should be read and some minute to ask them to help. A thoroughly developed system of sacrifices and rites was the entire religious life of the Romans. They represented God's gods like prestorms (Pretor - one of the highest officials in ancient Rome. Pretors were visited by court cases.) And they were convinced that, like the judge, they lose the case who did not understand the official formalities. Therefore, there were books in which everything was provided and where it was possible to find prayers for all occasions. The rules should be accurately observed, any violation has reduced the results of worship.

The Romans stayed in fear all the time, which made rites not as follows. It was enough to have the slightest omission in prayer, some not prescribed movement, a sudden hitch in a religious dance, damage the musical instrument during the sacrifice, so that the same rite was repeated anew. There have been cases when it all started all the time before, until the sacrifice was perfectly perfect. Making a prayer containing a request, the priest should have followed not to omit any expression or not pronounce it in an inappropriate place. Therefore, someone read, and the priest repeated the word for him in the Word, the assistant reading was given, who watched whether everything was read right. A special servant of the priest was observed that the silence presented were silent, and at the same time trumpeters struggled to the pipe so that nothing could be heard, except for the words of the pronounced prayer.

It was equally carefully and carefully produced all sorts of divorities that the Romans had great importance in public and private life. Before each important thing, I first learned the will of the gods, manifested in various signs, to observe and clarify who were able to the priests, called August. Thunder and zipper, sudden sneezing, the fall of any object in a holy place, an attack of epilepsy on a public area - all such phenomena, even the most insignificant, but what happened in an unusual or important minute, acquired the importance of the divine omen. The most favorite was a fortune telling on the flight of birds. When the Senate or Consuls had to accept any decision, declare war or to proclaim the world, promulgate new laws, they first appealed to Augustus with the question of whether time was appropriate for this. Augur brought the sacrifice and prayed, and at midnight she walked on the capitol, the most sacred hill in Rome, and, addressed to the south, looked at the sky. At dawn, birds flew, and according to which side, which they were and how they were, Avgur was predicted whether a conceived business would be successful or fail. So picky chickens managed the powerful republic, and the military leaders in the face of the enemy were supposed to obey their whims.

This primitive religion was called the religion of Numa, by the name of the second of the seven Roman kings, which was attributed to the establishment of the most important religious provisions. She was very simple, deprived of all the pomp, did not know the statues nor the temples. In its pure form it lasts long. Religious representations of neighboring peoples penetrated it, and now with difficulty you can recreate her appearance hidden by later layers.

Selfiece Gods easily leaned to Rome, since the Romans had the best of the city after the conquest of any city to relocate the gods defeated in their capital to deserve their location and protect themselves from their anger.

So, for example, the Romans closed the Carthage gods to themselves. Priest proclaimed a solemn spell: "Goddess you or God, who extend the custody of the people or the state of Carthaginsky, you who patronize this city, I will have a prayer for you, I will give you an honors, you ask you about mercy to leave the people and the Carthaginian state to leave the people Their temples to leave them. Go to me in Rome. Let our temples and the city be more pleasant to you. Be merciful and favorably to me and the people of Rome and to our soldiers, as we want it and as we understand. If you do this, I promise that the temple will be erected and the games will be established in your honor. "

Before the Romans directly encountered the Greeks who had such an overwhelming effect on their religious views, another people, closerly geographically discovered their spiritual superiority before the Romans. These were the Etruscans, the people of unknown origin, the amazing culture of which was preserved today in thousands of monuments and turns to us not the incomprehensible language of the inscriptions, do not like any language of the world. They occupied the northwestern part of Italy, from the Apennine to the sea, - the country

fertile valleys and solar hills running down to Tibra, a river that joined them with the Romans. Rich and powerful, Etruscans from the embroidered of their fortresses, standing on steep and inaccessible mountains, dominated huge land spaces. Thes of their kings were dressed in Purpur, sat on the chairs laid out by ivory, and surrounded their honorary guard, armed with rosophones with axes stuck in them. Etruscans had a fleet and from very long supported trade relations with the Greeks in Sicily and in the south of Italy. They borrowed writing from them and many religious ideas, which, however, were reedded in their own way.

About Etruscan Gods can be said to a little. Among the large numbers, they are allocated above the other Trinity: Tini, the God of Studzyz, like Jupiter, Uni, the goddess-Queen, similar to Junon, and the winged Goddess Menfra, corresponding to Latin Minerway. This is a prototype of the famous Capitol Trinity. With the superstitious piety, the souls of the dead, as the creatures of cruel, thirsty of blood, were honored. On the graves of the Etruscans made human sacrifices who subsequently adopted by the Romans of the battles of gladiators were at the beginning of the Etruscans part of the cult of the dead. They believed in the existence of real hell, where the Harun soul gives the old man of semi-soul appearance, with wings armed with heavy hammer. On the painted walls of Etruscan graves, a whole string of such demons passes: Mantus, the king of hell, also winged, with a crown on his head and a torch in his hand; Tukulha, a monster with an eagle beak, donkey ears and snakes on the head instead of hair, and many others. Evilion, they surround the unfortunate, intimidated human souls.

Etruscan legends report that one day in the vicinity of the city of Tarquiniyev, when the peasants plowed the land, a man with a face and a figure of a child came out of a wet furrow, but with gray hair and a beard, like an old man. Called him tagies. When a crowd gathered around him, he began to preach the rules for divination and religious ceremonies. The king of those places ordered the commandments of Tagies to draw up a book. Since then, the Etruscan believed that they are better than other nations know how to interpret divine signs and predictions. Dusting was engaged in special priests - Garuspiki. When the animal sacrificed, they carefully examined its insides: the shape and position of the heart, the liver, lungs - and, according to certain rules, predicted the future. They knew what he would mean every zipper, in her color were recognized from what God she comes. The huge and complex system of supernatural signs of Garuspiki was turned into a whole science, which was later adopted by the Romans.

II. The cult of the dead and home deities

The perfume of the ancestors was called Romans with manami - clean, good spirits. In this name, it was more than a real faith in the kindness of the souls of the dead, which at all times and all nations cause fear. Each family honored the souls of their own ancestors, and on days 9, 11 and 13, lemuria were held everywhere - the holidays of the dead. Then it was believed that these days the souls go out of the graves and wandering over the world as vampires, which were called lemuras or letters. In every house, the father of the family got up at midnight and barefoot went around all the rooms that distinguishes the spirits. After that, he washed his hands in the spring water, put in the mouth of the grain of black beans, which then moved through the house without looking back. At the same time, he repeated the spell nine times: "This gives you and these beans I repurchase yourself and your loved ones." Invisible perfumes walked after him and collected beans scattered on the ground. After that, the head of the family was washed again with water, took a copper pelvis and beat him with all his might, asking the spirits to leave the house.

On February 21, there was another holiday called Fearalia, on this day for the dead prepared meals. Perfumes do not require too much, the gentle memory of living more pleasant to them than abundant victims. As a gift, they can be tiled with a wonderful wreath, bread, worked in wine, a little violet, a few grains of millet, pinch of salt. The most important thing is to pray for them from the bottom of my heart. And you should remember about them. Once during the war they forgot to spend Fearalia. The city began in the city, and at night the souls were completely crowded out of the graves and loud planned the streets. As soon as the victims brought them, they returned to the ground and the sea ceased. The country of the dead was an orc, like the Greeks of AID, - deep underground caves in inaccessible mountains. The Lord of this kingdom of shadows was also called. We do not know his image, since he never had him, as there was no temples and no cult. However, on the slope of the Capitol, the temple of another God of death, Weiimis, whose name would mean the denial of the beneficiary of Jupiter (Yovisa). In close relationship with the spirits of ancestors there are geniuses representing the vitality of men, and Junites - something like the guardian angels. Each person, depending on the floor lame his genius or his Junoon. At the time of the appearance of a person, the genius is entered into it, and at the time of death leaves, after which it becomes one of the mans. Genius watches man, helps him in life, as he can, and it is helpful to contact him in a difficult moment, as the nearest intercessor.

Some, however, believed that, born, a person gets two geniuses: one declines him to good, the other directs to evil, and depending on which he will go for, a blessed fate or car is waiting for a person after death. However, it was rather theological teachings rather than a general faith.

On the birthdays, everyone brought victim to her genius. The geniuses were depicted in the form of a snake or a Roman citizen, in Toga, with a horn of abundance.

The same family of patrovers in the same family belongs to the Laras, who go on the field and the house of the peasant. Rome did not have a cult of more popular than the cult of lars. Everyone in his house prayed to them and read these good Gods, as they attributed to them all the successes, the health and happiness of the family. Leaning, the Roman risen with them; Returning, He greets first of all with them. Since childhood, they looked at him from their chapels (in essence it was a special locker, in which images of the larries were kept. They called him - Lararium), installed near the home focus, attended with every dinner, with all his downtown shared their joy and sadness. As soon as the family sat down at the table, the hostess of the house first of all separated the portion of the Lamars, the days of the sacrifice were sacrificed to them sacrificed a wreath of live flowers. First, the purely family, the cult of lars was then spread to the city, its sites and all the state. On the street crossroads stood the chapel of precinct lars, and the locals treated them with great reverence. Every year in the first days of January, the holiday of precinct lars was celebrated. It was a great joy for simple people, as comedians and musicians, athletes and singers participated in the celebration. The holiday was cheerful, and not one jug of wine was drinking for the health of the larr.

In the same chainnote, the benevolent deities also lived near the home focus together - fenats. They guarded storage.

In order to understand the primary cult of lars and foams, it is necessary to imagine the oldest Roman house, the agriculture hut with one main room - atrium. The attraction was a hearth. They prepared on it, and at the same time he warmed the household teams that were mainly in this room. Before the hearth stood the table around which everyone sat down during the food.

For breakfast, lunch and dinner for the fenats to the focus put a bowl with food in gratitude for their homework, whose guards they were. Thanks to this victim, all the dishes also became sacred, and if the land fell on Earth, for example, even a crumb of breads, she should have been carefully lifted and throwing into the fire. Since the state was considered a big family, there were also foams and state, honored in one temple with Westa.

Related by the name of the Greek Gestiya himself, Vesta was the personification of the family hearth. It was read in every home and in every city, but most of all in the Rome itself, where the temple of her was like the center of the capital, and therefore, and the whole state. The cult Vesta was ancient and one of the most important. The temple along with the grove was on the slope of the Palatinsky Hill near the Forum, at the very Via Sacra - the sacred road, on which the triumphal marches of the victorious leaders were held. Forum - Square, market, in general, where many people were gathered; Center for Economic and Political Life. In Rome such a center

the Roman Forum (Forum Romanum). Nearby was the so-called atrium Vesta, or, the monastery of Vestnok. Not far there was a housing of the Supreme Priest - Regia, or the "Tsarist Palace". He was called the "tsarist palace" because there was no time the king (Rex), and being a supreme priest, he was at the same time the immediate chapter of Vests.

The temple itself, a small, rounded, reminded his kind of primitive clay shacks of the oldest, still rural residents of Rome. He shared into two parts. In one, the eternal flame of Vesta, this part of the day was accessible to everyone, but at night there could not be included to men. Another part, as if the "holy of saints," was hidden from human eyes, and no one really knew what was located there. Some mysterious shrines were kept there, which depended on the happiness of Rome. In the temple itself, there was no statue of Vesta, it was in Reddveria, made according to the sample of Greek gesty.

The service in the temple carried six Vests. They chose the Supreme Priest (Pontifeks Maximus) from the best aristocratic families. The girl went to the monastery between 6 and 10 years of life and remained in it for thirty years, while preserving innocence and renounced the world.

For the first ten years, she was taught all sorts of rites, the next ten years she served in the temple, the last ten years have learned new ones. Thirty years later, the witness could leave the monastery, return to life, get married and create his own family. However, it happened extremely rarely - on general conviction, the witness, who left the temple, will not find happiness in life. Therefore, most of them preferred to stay in the monastery until the end of their days, taking advantage of the girlfriends and society.

The main task of Vestelok was to support the eternal flame on the altar of the goddess. They watched him in the afternoon and night, all the time put new chips so that he would never fade. If the fire has gone, it was not only a crime of negligent vadigliki, but foreshadowed inevitable misfortune for the state.

Fire incitement was a newly solemn procedure. They mined the fire by the friction of two sticks about each other, that is, the most primitive way leaving for the stone century and now we meet only among the nations, lost in the distant corners of the Earth, where the civilization has not yet reached. The cult of Vesta strictly retained the forms of life of ancient Italy, so all the guns in the temple - a knife, an ax - should have been bronze, and not iron. Vestniki did not have the right to leave the city, they were obliged to be always near the sacred fire. Priestess, in the fault of which fire went out, was sprinkled to death. Such severe punishment was added Vestatak, which violated the vow of chastity. She was planted in a tightly closed palanquin (covered stretchers) so that no one could see it or hear it, and carried through the forum. When the palankina approaches passersby, silently stopped and, bowing the head, went to the procession to the place of execution. It was located near some of the goal of the city, where the diverse deepening had already expected, was quite extensive so that the bed and the table could fit in it. (Vadilok, violated virginity lunch, climbed alive in an earthen shaft near Kollya gate in the eastern part of the city.) On the table lit the lamp and left a little bread, water, milk and olive oil. The liktor opened Palalanquin, and at this time the Supreme Priest prayed, raising his hands to the sky. (Licators are servants, as well as the honorary guard of senior officials; armed with fascia (bundle ropted) with axes stuck in them.)

Having finished prayer, he led the convict, covered with a cloak so that her face could not see those present, and ordered her to get along the stairs to the cooked deepening. The staircase was pulled out, niche was lit. Usually the witness died in a few days. Sometimes the family managed to slowly free her, but of course, such a liberated waggle was forever eliminated from social life.

Vestniki were surrounded by great respect. If one of them went outside, the liktors were marched ahead, as before the highest officials. The witners were provided with honorable places in theaters and circuses, and in court, their testimony was the oath. Sladen for a sort of criminal, having met one of these things dressed in white girls, could have fallen to her legs, and if the witness was pardoned, he was released. The prayers of Vestodsk citizens attached particular importance. They prayed daily for the successes and integrity of the Roman state. In the ninth day of June, in the solemn holiday of Westales, Roman matrons made a pilgrimage to the temple of Vesti, carrying modest sacrifices in the clay dishes. On this day, the mills were decorated with flowers and wreaths, and the bakers were noisily having fun.

III. Gods. Ancient Italian Divities

The powerful ruler of the sky, the personification of sunshine, thunderstorms, storms, in anger, throwing a lightning, hitting them by the recalcitrant of his Divine Will, was the supreme lord of the gods Jupiter. His abode was on the high mountains, he hugged the whole world from there, the fate of individuals and peoples depended on him. Jupiter expressed her will, the grinding grinding, brilliance, flight of birds (especially the appearance of an eagle, dedicated to him); Sometimes he sent the prophetic dreams, in which he opened the coming. The priests of the Terrible God - Pontiffs made particularly solemn ceremonies in those places where Zipper hit. This site wasged so that no one could pass on it and thus desecrate the sacred place. The Earth was carefully gathered and buryred together with a piece of silf - a symbol of lightning. The priest erected an altar on this place and sacrificed a two-year sheep. Jupiter is a powerful defender who gives the victory and rich military prey, on the Capitol Hill in Rome, the temple was erected in Rome, where the commander, returning from victorious campaigns, brought the armor of defeated leaders and the most valuable treasures taken away from enemies. Jupiter simultaneously patronized people and sanctified their relationship. He is brutally punishable kraalevopart and violators of hospitality customs. In honor of this, the highest God of all ancient Lazium was held several times a year, general festivals were held - at the beginning of the sowing and ending the harvest, when collecting grapes. In Rome, every year Capitol and big games with equestrian competitions and athletes were arranged. The greatest and inspired Jupiter, managing the fate of the world and people, were devoted to the most important days of the year - Ida of every month (13-15 numbers). The name of Jupiter was mentioned in any significant business - public or private. His name was swore, and the oath was considered unrealistic, because the rapidly on the massacre and irritable God is inexorably punish the wicked. Since the main features of the Italian Jupiter were very similar to the image of the Supreme Divine of the Greeks of Zeus, then elements of Greek mythology entered the influence of Greek culture in Roman religion. And many of the legends associated with Zeus were transferred to Jupiter. His father began to call Saturn, God of crops, which first gave people food and ruled them in the days of the Golden Age, like the Greek Kronos. Thus, the wife of Saturn, the goddess of the rich harvest of the OPS, began to be considered the mother of Jupiter, and since when applying to the goddess was prescribed to concern the earth, its image, naturally merged with the way the goddess Rei, the spouse of the Kronos.

Especially bright were the festivities in honor of Saturn and his spouse - Saturnia, who begun on December 17 after the end of the harvest and the last seven days. During these festivities, people sought to resurrect the memory of the golden age of the reign of Saturn, when, according to the Roman poet of Ovidi, "Spring was always standing" and "the crop without unincounded, the Earth brought", "Sweet fell safely living people." Indeed, in the days of Saturnali, people spent time in carefree fun, games, dance, peaks. They made their loved ones and even slaves, freed from work, put on the table with them and tremeble, believing that they were given to the tribute to the existing equality between people.