Roman pantheon in the context of "Temple of Portunus"

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⭐ Core Definition: Roman pantheon

The Roman deities most widely known today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts, integrating Greek myths, iconography, and sometimes religious practices into Roman culture, including Latin literature, Roman art, and religious life as it was experienced throughout the Roman Empire. Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and sometimes function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary. This is particularly true of those gods belonging to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the era of kings, the so-called "religion of Numa", which was perpetuated or revived over the centuries. Some archaic deities have Italic or Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the provinces were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities.

A survey of theological groups as constructed by the Romans themselves is followed by an extensive alphabetical list concluding with examples of common epithets shared by multiple divinities.

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👉 Roman pantheon in the context of Temple of Portunus

The Temple of Portunus (Italian: Tempio di Portuno) is an ancient Roman temple in Rome, Italy. It was built beside the Forum Boarium, the Roman cattle market associated with Hercules, which was adjacent to Rome's oldest river port (Portus Tiberinus) and the oldest stone bridge across the Tiber River, the Pons Aemilius. It was probably dedicated to the gateway god Portunus although the precise dedication remains unclear as there were several other temples in the area besides his. It was misidentified as the Temple of Fortuna Virilis (Latin for "Manly Luck") from the Renaissance and remains better known by this name. The temple is one of the best preserved of all Roman temples.

It is dedicated to Portunus, the god of keys, doors and livestock, and so granaries, it is the main temple dedicated to the god in the city. During the Medieval period, the temple was converted to a Christian church dedicated to Santa Maria Egyziaca ("St Mary of Egypt"). It remained a church up until the early 20th century, when it was deconsecrated, stripped of all later additions, and returned to its classical appearance, as an archaeological monument. This restoration included the demolition of surrounding medieval and Renaissance era buildings.

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Roman pantheon in the context of Greco-Roman religion

Greco-Roman religion refers to the religious systems, cults, and theological ideas that characterized the cultures of the ancient Greco-Roman world. The traditions of Greek religion and Roman religion developed independently and became interleaved through cultural exchange, conquest, and philosophical synthesis, especially during the Hellenistic period and the height of the Roman Empire.

In both Greek and Roman contexts, religion was deeply embedded in public life, involving practices such as sacrifice, divination, and temple ritual. Gods and goddesses were venerated as powers active in the cosmos and the city, often associated with natural forces, civic virtues, and mythic narratives. The Greek pantheon and Roman pantheon overlapped significantly, with Roman deities often interpreted through the lens of interpretatio graeca—the identification of Roman gods with their Greek counterparts.

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Roman pantheon in the context of List of Ancient Roman temples

This is a list of ancient Roman temples, built during antiquity by the people of ancient Rome or peoples belonging to the Roman Empire. Roman temples were dedicated to divinities from the Roman pantheon.

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Roman pantheon in the context of Mercury (mythology)

Mercury (/ˈmɜːrkjʊri/; Latin: Mercurius [mɛrˈkʊrijʊs] ) is a major god in Roman religion and mythology, being one of the 12 Dii Consentes within the ancient Roman pantheon. He is the god of boundaries, commerce, communication (including divination), eloquence, financial gain, languages, luck, thieves, travelers, and trickery; he is also the guide of souls to the underworld.

In Roman mythology, he was the son of Maia, one of the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas, and Jupiter. In his earliest forms, he appears to have been related to the Etruscan deity Turms; both gods share characteristics with the Greek god Hermes. He is often depicted holding the caduceus in his left hand. Similar to his Greek equivalent Hermes, he was awarded a magic wand by Apollo, which later turned into the caduceus, the staff with intertwined snakes.

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Roman pantheon in the context of Temple of Piety

The Temple of Piety (Latin: Aedes Pietatis) was a Roman temple dedicated to the goddess Pietas, a deified personification of piety. It was erected in 181 BC at the northern end of the Forum Olitorium, the Roman vegetable market, and demolished in 44 BC to make room for the building eventually known as the Theater of Marcellus. It seems to have been rebuilt and its services continued well into the imperial period, although this is disputed by some scholars.

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