Cicero wrote:
“With piety, reverence for the gods and wise confidence that everything is guided and governed by the will of the gods, we Romans surpassed all tribes and peoples.”

The Romans almost completely adopted the Greek gods - they just gave them different names. Their images, colors, symbols and spells remained the same; all you have to do is simply replace Zeus with Jupiter, and so on; however, this does not mean that they are completely identical.

There is little difference between Roman and Greek gods is that different names help to better understand them. As a rule, the Roman gods are more serious and firmer than the Greek ones; they are more virtuous and reliable. Some people consider the Roman gods to be too limited and a bit introverted, but they certainly have good qualities. For example, some of the cruelty of Aphrodite is less expressed in Venus; Jupiter is not as tyrannical as Zeus.

The expression “return to one’s native land,” meaning a return to one’s home, to the hearth, is more correctly pronounced “return to one’s native land.” The fact is that the Penates are the Roman guardian gods of the hearth, and each family usually had images of two Penates next to the hearth.

Since the 3rd century. before i. e. The Greek religion began to have a very strong influence on Roman religion. The Romans identified their abstract gods with the Greek gods. Thus, Jupiter was identified with Zeus, Mars with Ares, Venus with Aphrodite, Juno with Hera, Minerva with Athena, Ceres with Demeter, etc. Among the numerous Roman gods, the main Olympic gods stood out under the influence of Greek religious ideas: Jupiter - the god of sky and thunder and lightning. Mars is the god of war, Minerva is the goddess of wisdom, patroness of crafts, Venus is the goddess of love and fertility. Vulcan is the god of fire and blacksmithing, Ceres is the goddess of vegetation. Apollo is the god of the sun and light, Juno is the patroness of women and marriage, Mercury is the messenger of the Olympic gods, the patron of travelers, trade, Neptune is the god of the sea, Diana is the goddess of the moon.

The Roman goddess Juno had the title Moneta - “warning” or “adviser”. Near the Temple of Juno on the Capitol there were workshops where metal money was minted. That's why we call them coins, and English language came from this word common name money - money.

One of the revered purely Italian deities was Janus, depicted with two faces, as the deity of entry and exit, of all beginnings. The Olympian gods were considered the patrons of the Roman community and were revered by the patricians. The plebeians especially revered the divine trinity: Ceres, Libora, Proserpina - the goddess of vegetation and the underworld, and Libora - the god of wine and fun. The Roman pantheon never remained closed; foreign deities were accepted into its composition. The adoption of new gods was believed to strengthen the power of the Romans. Thus, the Romans borrowed almost the entire Greek pantheon, and at the end of the 3rd century. BC e. veneration of the Great Mother of the Gods from Phrygia was introduced. The conquest of many overseas territories, especially Hellenistic states, introduced the Romans to Hellenistic and eastern gods, which find admirers among the Roman population. The slaves who arrived in Rome and Italy professed their own cults, thereby spreading other religious views.

The Roman Emperor Caligula once declared war on the god of the seas, Neptune, after which he led his army to the shore and ordered the soldiers to throw spears into the water.

In order for the gods to take care of people and the state, they needed to make sacrifices, offer prayers and requests, and perform special ritual actions. Special boards of knowledgeable people - priests - monitored the cult of individual gods, the order in temples, prepared sacrificial animals, monitored the accuracy of prayers and ritual actions, and could give advice on which deity to turn to with the necessary request.

When the emperor died, he was ranked among the gods, and the title Divus - Divine - was added to his name.

Roman religion bore the stamp of formalism and sober practicality: they expected help from the gods in specific cases and therefore they scrupulously performed the established rituals and made the necessary sacrifices. In relation to the gods, the principle “I give so that you give” operated. The Romans paid great attention to the external side of religion, to the petty performance of rituals, and not to spiritual fusion with the deity. The Roman religion did not arouse the sacred awe and ecstasy that take possession of the believer. That is why the Roman religion, despite its outward very strict observance of all formalities and rituals, little affected the feelings of believers and gave rise to dissatisfaction. This is associated with the penetration of foreign, especially eastern, cults, often characterized by a mystical and orgiastic character, and some mystery. The cult of the Great Mother of the Gods and the cult of Dionysus - Bacchus, included in the official Roman pantheon, were especially widespread. The Roman Senate took measures against the spread of orgiastic eastern cults, believing that they undermined the official Roman religion, with which the power of the Roman state and its stability were associated. So, in 186 BC. e. Unbridled bacchanalia associated with the rites of the cult of Bacchus - Dionysus were prohibited.

All planets solar system, except for the Earth, are named after Roman gods.

Mighty ruler of the sky, personification sunlight, thunderstorms, storms, in anger throwing lightning, striking with them those disobedient to his divine will - such was the supreme ruler of the gods, Jupiter. His abode was on high mountains, from there he embraced the whole world with his gaze, the fate of individual people and nations depended on him. Jupiter expressed his will with peals of thunder, the flash of lightning, the flight of birds (especially the appearance of an eagle dedicated to him); sometimes he sent prophetic dreams, in which he revealed the future.

very cool but I want to add
Roman; the same Greek ones;
Jupiter Zeus
pluto hades
Juno Hera
Diana Artemis
Phoebus Apollo
Minerva Athena
venus aphrodite
ceres demeter
Liber Dionysus
volcano hephaestus
mercury hermes
mars ares
01.03.12 Diana

In Ancient Rome, as in Ancient Greece, religion consisted of cults of different gods. Moreover, the Roman pantheon had many deities similar to the Greek ones. That is, we can talk about borrowing here. This happened because Greek mythology was more ancient than Roman mythology. The Greeks created colonies on the territory of Italy when Rome did not even think about greatness. The inhabitants of these colonies spread Greek culture and religion to nearby lands, and therefore the Romans became continuers of Greek traditions, but interpreted them taking into account local conditions.

The most significant and revered in Ancient Rome was the so-called council of the gods, corresponding to the Olympian gods of Ancient Greece. The father of Roman poetry, Quintus Ennius (239 - 169 BC), systematized the deities of Ancient Rome and introduced six men and six women to this council. He also gave them Greek equivalents. This list was subsequently confirmed by the Roman historian Titus Livius (59 BC – 17 AD). Below is a list this advice celestials, Greek analogues are given in brackets.

Jupiter(Zeus) – king of the gods, god of sky and thunder, son of Saturn and Opa. The main deity of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. The rulers of Rome swore an oath to Jupiter and venerated him annually in September on the Capitoline Hill. He was personified with law, order and justice. In Rome there were 2 temples dedicated to Jupiter. One was built in 294 BC. e., and the second was erected in 146 BC. e. This god was personified by an eagle and an oak tree. His wife and sister was Juno.

Juno(Hera) – daughter of Saturn and Opa, wife and Native sister Jupiter, queen of the gods. She was the mother of Mars and Vulcan. She was a defender of marriage, motherhood, family traditions. It is in her honor that the month of June is named. She was part of the Capitoline triad along with Jupiter and Minerva. There is a statue of this goddess in the Vatican. She is depicted wearing a helmet and armor. Not only mere mortals, but also all the gods of Ancient Rome revered and respected Juno.

Neptune(Poseidon) – god of the sea and fresh water. Brother of Jupiter and Pluto. The Romans also worshiped Neptune as the god of horses. He was the patron of horse racing. In Rome, one temple was erected to this god. It was located near the Circus of Flaminia in the southern part of the Campus Martius. The circus had a small hippodrome. All these structures were built in 221 BC. e. Neptune is an extremely ancient deity. He was a household god among the Etruscans, and then migrated to the Romans.

Ceres(Demeter) – goddess of the harvest, fertility, Agriculture. She was the daughter of Saturn and Opa and the sister of Jupiter. She had an only daughter, Proserpina (goddess of the underworld) from a relationship with Jupiter. It was believed that Ceres could not see hungry children. This drove her into a state of grief. Therefore, she always took care of orphans, surrounded them with care and attention. Every year in April a festival was held dedicated to this goddess. It lasted 7 days. She was also mentioned during marriages and ritual rites associated with the harvest.

Minerva(Athena) – goddess of wisdom, patroness of art, medicine, trade, military strategy. Gladiator battles were often held in her honor. She was considered a virgin. She was often depicted with an owl (the owl of Minerva), which symbolized wisdom and knowledge. Long before the Romans, this goddess was worshiped by the Etruscans. Celebrations in her honor were held from March 19 to 23. This goddess was worshiped on the Esquiline Hill (one of the seven hills of Rome). The temple of Minerva was built there.

Apollo(Apollo) is one of the main gods of Greek and Roman mythologies. This is the god of the sun, light, music, prophecy, healing, art, poetry. It should be said that the Romans, in relation to this god, took the traditions of the ancient Greeks as a basis and practically did not change them. Apparently they seemed extremely successful, and therefore they did not change anything, so as not to spoil the beautiful legends about this god.

Diana(Artemis) – goddess of hunting, nature, fertility. She, like Minerva, was a virgin. In total, the gods of Ancient Rome had 3 goddesses who took a vow of celibacy - Diana, Minerva and Vesta. They were called maiden goddesses. Diana was the daughter of Jupiter and Latona, and was born with her twin brother Apollo. Since she patronized hunting, she wore a short tunic and hunting boots. She always had a bow, a quiver and a crescent-shaped diadem with her. The goddess was accompanied by deer or hunting dogs. The Temple of Diana in Rome was built on the Aventine Hill.

Mars(Ares) – god of war, as well as protector of agricultural fields in the early Roman period. He was considered the second most important god (after Jupiter) in the Roman army. Unlike Ares, who was treated with disgust, Mars was respected and loved. Under the first Roman emperor Augustus, a temple to Mars was built in Rome. During the Roman Empire, this deity was considered a guarantor military power and peace and was never mentioned as a conqueror.

Venus(Aphrodite) – goddess of beauty, love, prosperity, victory, fertility and desires. The Roman people considered her their mother through her son Aeneas. He survived the fall of Troy and fled to Italy. Julius Caesar claimed to be the ancestor of this goddess. Subsequently, in Europe, Venus became the most popular deity of Roman mythology. She was personified with sexuality and love. The symbols of Venus were the dove and the hare, and among plants the rose and the poppy. The planet Venus is named after this goddess.

Volcano(Hephaestus) – god of fire and patron of blacksmiths. He was often depicted with a blacksmith's hammer. This is one of the most ancient Roman deities. In Rome there was a temple of Vulcan or Vulcanal, built in the 8th century BC. e. on the site of the future Roman Forum at the foot of the Capitoline Hill. A festival dedicated to Vulcan was celebrated every year in the second half of August. It was this god who forged lightning for Jupiter. He also made armor and weapons for other celestials. He equipped his forge in the crater of Mount Etna in Sicily. And he was helped in his work by golden women, whom God himself created.

Mercury(Hermes) – patron of trade, finance, eloquence, travel, good luck. He also served as a guide for souls to the underworld. Son of Jupiter and Maya. In Rome, the temple to this god was located in the circus, located between the Avetine and Palatine hills. It was built in 495 BC. e. A festival dedicated to this god took place in mid-May. But it was not as magnificent as for other gods, since Mercury was not considered one of the main deities of Rome. The planet Mercury was named in his honor.

Vesta(Hestia) is an extremely revered goddess among the ancient Romans. She was the sister of Jupiter and was identified with the goddess of the home and family hearth. The sacred fire always burned in her temples, and it was supported by the priestesses of the goddess - the virgin Vestal Virgins. This was a whole staff of female priestesses in Ancient Rome who enjoyed unquestioned authority. They were taken from wealthy families and were required to remain celibate for 30 years. If one of the Vestals violated this oath, then such a woman was buried in the ground alive. Celebrations dedicated to this goddess took place annually from June 7 to June 15.

- goddess of the morning dawn. The ancient Greeks called Aurora the ruddy dawn, the rose-fingered goddess Eos. Aurora was the daughter of the titan Hipperion and Theia. According to another version of the Sun - Helios and the Moon - Selene).

Artemis is the daughter of Zeus and Lethe, the sister of Apollo, among female deities the same as her brother among male ones. She gives light and life, she is the goddess of childbirth and the goddess-nurse; accompanied by forest nymphs, hunts through forests and mountains, protects herds and game. She has never submitted to the power of love, and, like Apollo, she does not know the bonds of marriage. In Roman mythology - Diana.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus who had no mother. Hephaestus cut the head of Zeus with an ax, and Athena jumped out of the head into fully armed. She is the personification of the prudence of Zeus. Athena is the goddess of intelligence, war, sciences and arts. In Roman mythology - Minerva.

Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Diana, so called because she allegedly came from sea foam. She is the goddess of beauty happy love and marriage, surpassing all goddesses in charm and grace. In Roman mythology - Venus.

Venus - in Roman mythology, the goddess of gardens, beauty and love, was identified with Aeneas' mother Aphrodite. Venus was not only the goddess of beauty and love, but also the patroness of the descendants of Aeneas and all Romans.

Hecate is the goddess of the night, ruler of darkness. Hecate ruled over all ghosts and monsters, night visions and sorcery. She was born as a result of the marriage of the titan Persus and Asteria.

The Graces are beneficent goddesses in Roman mythology, personifying the joyful, kind and eternally youthful beginning of life, daughters of Jupiter, nymphs and goddesses. In ancient times Greek mythology- Charites.

Diana - in Roman mythology, the goddess of nature and hunting, was considered the personification of the moon. Diana was also accompanied by the epithet “goddess of the three roads,” interpreted as a sign of Diana’s triple power: in heaven, on earth and under the earth.

Iris is the personification of the rainbow, connecting heaven with earth, a messenger of the gods, a mediator in their relations with each other and with people. This is the messenger of Zeus and Hera and the servant of the latter.

Cybele, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, the wife of Kronos, was considered the great mother of the gods. She is the personification of the principle that organizes the elemental natural forces.

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

Mnemosyne is the goddess of memory in Greek mythology, the daughter of Uranus and Gaia, a Titanide. Mother of the Muses, whom she gave birth to from Zeus. According to the number of nine nights that Mnemosyne gave to Zeus, there were nine muses.

The Moirai are Lachesis (“the giver of lots”), Clotho (“the spinner”) and Atropos (“the inevitable one”), daughters of Nyx. The Moiras are the goddesses of fate, natural necessity, eternal and immutable world laws.

Muses are goddesses and patroness of the arts and sciences. The Muses were considered the daughters of Zeus and the goddess of memory Mnemosyne.

Nemesis is the goddess of vengeance. The duties of the goddess included punishment for crimes, overseeing the fair and equal distribution of goods among mortals. Nemesis was born by Nikto as punishment for Kronos.

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, or Caecera, the wife of Pluto, or Hades, a formidable mistress of shadows, ruling over the souls of the dead and over the monsters of the underworld, listening, together with Hades, to the curses of people and fulfilling them. In Roman mythology - Proserpina.

Rhea is a Greek goddess in ancient mythology, one of the Titanides, daughter of Uranus and Gaia, wife of Kronos. The cult of Rhea was considered one of the most ancient, but was not widespread in Greece itself.

Tethys is one of the most ancient deities, a Titanide, the daughter of Gaia and Uranus, the sister and wife of the Ocean, the mother of streams, rivers and three thousand oceanids, was considered the goddess who gives life to everything that exists.

Themis is the goddess of justice. The Greeks also called the goddess Themis, Themis. Themis was the daughter of the sky god Uranus and Gaia. Her daughters were the goddesses of fate - the Moiras.

The Charites, the daughters of Zeus and the oceanid Eurynome, embodied a joyful, kind and eternally young beginning. The names of these beautiful goddesses were Aglaya (“shining”), Euphrosyne (“well-meaning”), Thalia (“blooming”), Cleta (“desired”) and Peyto (“persuasion”).

Eumenides - merciful, benevolent goddesses - one of the names of female deities, most known under the name Erinyes, among the Romans the Furies, which means angry, furious, avenging goddesses.

Erinyes are the daughters of Earth and Darkness, terrible goddesses of curse, revenge and punishment, who rebelled against criminals and punished them only for the sake of restoring moral order in the world; they mainly acted as avengers for the violation of family rights sanctified by nature. In Roman mythology - Furies.

On the Encyclopedia of Mythology website ancient world There are more than 150 articles about the goddesses of antiquity, which can be found in our mythological dictionary.

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Mythical names. Mythical male and female names and their meanings

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List of names of gods, heroes and personalities of Ancient Greece and Rome

The directory contains almost all the names of gods, mythological characters, heroes and historical figures Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome.

A

AUGUST OCTAVE IAN(63 BC - 14 AD) - grandnephew of Julius Caesar, his official heir, the first Roman emperor (from 27), during whose reign the Nativity of the Savior took place. In 43, together with M. Antony and E. Lepidus, he formed the second triumvirate. After the defeat of the fleet of M. Anthony at Cape Actium (31), he actually became the sole ruler of the Roman Empire, the founder of the principate system, uniting in himself the highest priestly, state and military positions of the Roman state.

AGAMEMNON- in Greek mythology, king Mycenae, son of Atreus and Aerope, husband of Clytemnestra, brother of the Spartan king Menelaus, leader of the Achaean army in the Trojan War, was killed by his wife.

AGESILAI(444-360) - Spartan king (399-360), successfully fought against the Persians and the anti-Spartan coalition during the Corinthian War, achieved the last maximum flowering of Lacedaemon before his final defeat from the Thebans at the Battle of Leuctra (371).

AGRIPPA Marcus Vipsanius (64/63-12 BC) - Roman commander and political figure, an associate of Octavian Augustus, a number of whose military victories actually belonged to A.: the naval battles of Milae and Navloch (36), Actions (31), suppression of the uprising of Spanish tribes (20-19). A. carried out diplomatic assignments for Augustus, participated in the restructuring of Rome, and authored several works.

ADONIS- in Greek mythology, the lover of Aphrodite, a deity of Phoenician-Syrian origin. He was especially revered in the Hellenistic era as a dying and resurrecting deity.

ADRASTEA(“inevitable”) - see Nemesis.

ADRIAN Publius Aelius (76-138) - Roman emperor (from 117) from the Antonine dynasty, adopted by Trajan. He encouraged the development of Greek culture on the territory of the empire, although under him there was active Romanization of most provinces. In area foreign policy A. switched to defensive tactics, strengthened the bureaucratic apparatus, unified praetorial law, and carried out extensive construction activities.

AID(Hades, Pluto, identified with the Roman Orcus) - in Greek mythology, the god of the underworld of the dead, the son of Kronos and Gaia, brother of Zeus.

ACADEM- in Greek mythology, the Athenian hero who pointed out to the Dioscuri where their sister Helen, abducted by Theseus, was hidden. According to legend, Academus was buried in a sacred grove northwest of Athens.

ALARIC(d. 410 AD) - leader of the Visigoths. Under Emperor Theodosius, he commanded detachments of mercenaries. In 398 he devastated Thrace and Greece, then invaded Pannonia and Italy. In 402 he was defeated by Roman troops at Pollentia and Verona, then occupied Illyria, from where he launched an attack on Rome, which he besieged three times and finally took on August 24, 410.

ALEXANDER- name of the Macedonian kings: 1) A. III of Macedon (356-323) - king of Macedonia (from 336), son of Philip II, a brilliant commander, diplomat and politician, organized a campaign to the East against the Persian king Darius III (334-323), as a result of which a huge power arose that united Greek and eastern world, which marked the beginning of the Hellenistic era (III-I centuries); 2) A. IV (323-310) - the king of Macedonia, the son of Alexander the Great, did not actually receive royal powers. He was killed along with his mother Roxana during the Wars of the Diadochi.

ALEXID(c. BC) - the most significant Greek comedian of the Late Classical period, author of more than 200 works.

ALKESTIS- in Greek mythology, the wife of the legendary king Fer Admet, who voluntarily gave her life to save her husband. Hercules, delighted with the feat of Alcestis, snatched her from the hands of the god of death Tanat and returned her to her husband.

ALCIBIAD(c. 450 - c. 404) - Athenian politician and military leader, pupil of Pericles, student of Socrates. The actual organizer of the Sicilian expedition (415-413) during the Peloponnesian War. He often changed his political orientation and went over to the side of Sparta. Died in exile.

AMAZONS- in ancient Greek mythology, warlike women who lived along the banks of Meotida ( Sea of ​​Azov) or along the banks of the river. Thermodont. A. constantly practiced the art of war and, for the convenience of archery, they burned out their right breast.

AMBROSIY Aurelius of Milan (Milan) (c. 337-397) - saint, theologian, author of exegetical and dogmatic works, bishop of the city of Milan, originally from Trevisa (Italy). He received a rhetorical and legal education, was governor of the regions of Liguria and Emilia with a residence in Mediolan (c. 370), where he was ordained bishop (374), fought against paganism, had a significant influence on the church and political life of its time. Memory 7/20 December.

AMPHITRITE- in Greek mythology, the personified sea, the wife of the god of sea space Poseidon.

ANAXAGORAS(c. 500-428) - Greek philosopher from Klazomen (Asia Minor), who argued that matter is eternal.

ANANKA(Ananke, identified with the Roman Necessity) - in Greek mythology, the goddess of inevitability, death, daughter of Aphrodite, mother of the Moira goddesses of fate.

ANACHARSIS(VI century BC) - one of the most famous Scythians of the royal family in the Greek world, a friend of the Athenian legislator Solon. Traveled extensively throughout Greece, studying local customs and practices. Returning to his homeland, he tried to introduce innovations among the Scythians, for which he was killed by his fellow tribesmen. According to ancient tradition, one of the seven sages of antiquity.

ANDROGEUS- in Greek mythology, the son of the Cretan king Minos. Androgeus won the Panathenaic Games, thereby incurring the envy of the Athenian king Aegeus, who, wanting to destroy A., sent him to hunt for the Marathon bull, which tore the young man to pieces.

ANIT(end of the 5th century BC) - a wealthy Athenian, a prominent politician who participated in the overthrow of the “tyranny of the thirty”, the main prosecutor at the trial against Socrates.

ANC Marcius (second half of the 7th century BC) - Roman king, grandson of Numa Pompilius, made cult innovations, founded the port of Ostia, and was considered the founder of the plebeian family of Marcius.

ANTEI- in Greek mythology, the giant, the son of Poseidon and Gaia, was invulnerable as long as he touched mother earth. Hercules defeated Antaeus, tearing him off the ground and strangling him in the air.

ANTIOPES- in Greek mythology: 1) daughter of the Theban king Nyctaeus, one of the lovers of Zeus, mother of Amphion and Zetas; 2) Amazon, daughter of Ares, captured by Theseus and bore him a son, Hippolytus.

ANTIOX- the name of the Syrian Hellenistic kings from the Seleucid dynasty: 1) A. III the Great (242-187) - the Syrian king (223-187), known for his aggressive policy, fought with Egypt, captured Media and Bactria (212-205), Palestine ( 203), expanded his power to the borders of India, led the so-called Syrian war with the Romans (192-188), but suffered a final defeat at the Battle of Magnesia (190). Killed by his confidants; 2) Antiochus XIII Philadelphus (first half - middle 1st BC) - the last king from the Seleucid family, in 69 BC he was recognized by Lucullus as the Syrian king, but in 64 BC he was dethroned by Pompey, who turned Syria into a Roman province. Subsequently executed.

ANTIPATER(d. 319 BC) - Macedonian commander under Philip II and Alexander. During the Eastern Campaign he was governor of Macedonia. Under A., ​​the orator Demosthenes died.

ANTISPHENE(c. 444-366) - Greek philosopher, student of Socrates, founder of the Cynic school. He argued that the absolute good is physical labor and honest poverty.

ANTHONY Mark (82 -30 BC) - Roman political and statesman, commander, supporter of Julius Caesar, husband of Cleopatra VII, consul of 44, participant in the second triumvirate together with Octavian and E. Lepidus (43), later one of Octavian’s main rivals in civil wars 30s In 31 he was defeated by Octavian at Cape Actium and committed suicide.

ANTONIN Pius (“The Pious”) (86-161) - Roman emperor (from 138), founder of the Antonine dynasty, Foster-son Adrian, continued his policy related to the preservation and strengthening of the achieved borders. Later he was revered by the Romans as an exemplary ruler.

ANFIM(d. 302/303 AD) - Hieromartyr, Bishop of Nicomedia, was, like many Christians, accused of setting fire to the Nicomedia Palace, during the persecution he hid to control the flock and wrote messages, but was discovered and suffered martyrdom. Memory 3/16 September.

ANCHISIS- in Greek and Roman mythologies, the father of Aeneas, lover of Aphrodite. On the night of the fall of Troy, he was carried by Aeneas on his shoulders from the burning city, and died during the journey in Arcadia near Mount Anchisius (according to another version, in Southern Italy or Sicily).

APOLLO(Phoebus) - in Greek and Roman mythology, the god of the sun, light and harmony, patron of the arts, the opposite of Dionysus, son of Zeus and Leto, brother of Artemis, was revered as the patron of travelers, sailors and as a healer. On the other hand, dark elemental forces bringing disease and death were also associated with Apollo.

APOLLONIUS(d. 90s of the 1st century AD) - Greek philosopher, came from a wealthy family in the city of Tiana (Asia Minor), received an extensive education, traveled a lot, preached neo-Pythagorean religious mysticism, was close to the court of the emperors, Perhaps he was involved in a conspiracy against Domitian, and therefore was executed. During his lifetime he was revered by pagans as a wonderworker and sage.

ARAT(c. 310-245) - Greek writer originally from the city of Sola (Cilicia). He lived in Athens and at the courts of the kings in Macedonia and Syria. He authored the astronomical poem “Phenomena” in 1154 hexameters, written in the spirit of Stoic philosophy. In the Middle Ages, this work served as a textbook on astronomy.

ARACHNE- in Greek mythology, a Lydian girl, a skilled weaver, who dared to challenge Athena to a competition in the art of weaving, was defeated and turned into a spider.

ARES(Areus, identified with Roman Mars) - in Greek mythology, the god of unjust and treacherous war, as well as storms and bad weather, the son of Zeus and Hera.

ARIADNE- in Greek mythology, the daughter of the Cretan king Minos and Pasiphae, the granddaughter of the sun god Helios. In love with Theseus, she gave him a ball of thread, with which the hero found a way out of the labyrinth, fled with Theseus from Crete and was later abandoned by him or kidnapped by Dionysus.

ARIOVIST(1st century BC) - German leader, invited by the Celtic nobility to Gaul as a ruler, but later acquired independent significance. In 59 he was recognized by Caesar as a “friend of the Roman people”, and in 58 he was expelled from Gaul.

ARISTIDE(d. c. 468 BC) - Athenian politician, assisted Cleisthenes in carrying out his reforms, was one of the strategists in the Battle of Marathon (490) and the Battle of Plataea (480). He became famous for his justice and integrity.

ARKADY Flavius ​​(377-408) - the first ruler of the Eastern Roman Empire (from 395), the son of Theodosius I the Great, his co-ruler from 383, was influenced by his own entourage and his wife Eudoxia, waged defensive wars with the Germans, organized persecution of pagans and heretics.

ARMINIUS(c. 16 BC - 21 AD) - a descendant of a royal Germanic family, served in the Roman troops, lured into a trap and defeated the legions of Quintilius Varus in the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD). A. led the uprising against the Romans in Germany, but died as a result of infighting among the leadership of the rebels.

ARRADAY(Philip III) (d. 317 BC) - the illegitimate son of Philip of Macedon, was distinguished by weak will and dementia, and was an epileptic. Killed by order of Philip's widow Olympias.

ARTEMIS(derived from Roman Diana) - in Greek mythology, the goddess of hunting and wildlife, daughter of Zeus and Leto, twin sister of Apollo. It was a symbol of virgin purity and was sometimes identified with the Moon.

ASCLEPIOUS(identified with the Roman Aesculapius) - in Greek mythology, the god of healing, son of Apollo, student of the centaur Chiron.

ASTIDAMANTE(second half of the 5th century BC) - Athenian poet from the family of Aeschylus, student of Isocrates. He was known for writing his own praise on the statue erected to him in the theater.

ASTRAEUS- in Greek mythology, the son of the Titan Kronos, the husband of the goddess of the dawn Eos, the father of the four winds.

ASTRAEA(often identified with the goddess of truth and justice Dike) - in Greek mythology, the goddess of justice, daughter of Zeus and Themis, sister of Shyness, who lived among people during the “golden age”. Due to the depravity of human morals, the “golden age” ended, and A. left the Earth, turning into the constellation Virgo.

ATLANT(identified with the Roman Atlas) - in Greek mythology, a titan, the brother of Prometheus, who held the firmament on his shoulders.

ATTAL Priscus (d. after 410 AD) - prefect of Rome, who, at the request of the Visigoth leader Alaric, was proclaimed emperor (409). Soon Alaric quarreled with A. and deprived him of the imperial title, after which he captured Rome (410).

ATTILA(d. 453 AD) - leader of the Hunnic and allied tribes (434-445 - together with his brother Bleda, from 445, after the murder of Bleda, ruled alone), united under his rule the tribes of barbarians: Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans and others, in 447 he devastated Thrace and Illyria, in 451 he invaded Gaul and was defeated by the Romans and their allies in the battle on the Catalaunian fields, in 452 he ravaged Northern Italy.

ATTIS(identified with the Phrygian Men) - lover and priest of the goddess Cybele, in the Hellenistic era he was revered as a dying god and rising from the dead.

Afanasy(295-373) - the saint, one of the most famous bishops of Alexandria (from 328), theologian, apologist, received a classical education in Alexandria, participant in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea (325), was an implacable enemy of Arianism, for which he was expelled five times of his department. Memory 2/15 May.

ATHENA Pallas (identified with the Roman Minerva) - in Greek mythology, the goddess of wisdom, just war, patroness of science, daughter of Zeus and Metis. She was revered as a virgin who had no husband.

APHRODITE(identified with Roman Venus) - in Greek mythology, the goddess of love and beauty, the daughter of Zeus or Uranus and the oceanid Dione.

ACHILLES(Achilles) - in Greek mythology, one of the bravest and invincible heroes of the Trojan War, the son of Peleus and Thetis. He was revered as a warrior who was invulnerable in all parts of the body except the heel. He fought on the side of the Achaeans and was killed by a bow shot in the heel by Paris, who was helped by Apollo.

AETIUS Flavius ​​(c. 390-454) - military leader under Emperor Valentinian III (from 425), one of the last defenders Western Empire, commanded the Roman and allied troops in the Battle of the Catalaunian Fields (451). Treacherously killed by order of the emperor.

B

BARSINA(second half of the 4th century BC) - daughter of the Persian governor of Phrygia, captured by Alexander the Great after the capture of Damascus. She was Alexander's de facto wife before his official marriage to Roxana. Killed with her son Hercules during the Wars of the Diadochi.

BACCHUS- see Dionysus.

BELLONA- Ancient Roman goddess of war. Victorious commanders and foreign ambassadors were received in her temple, and the ceremony of declaring war took place here.

BRIAREUS- in Greek mythology, the son of Uranus and Gaia, one of the Titans, a monster with 50 heads and a hundred arms, a participant in the Titanomachy on the side of Zeus.

BRUTUS(“stupid”) - a nickname for members of a plebeian Roman family: 1) B. Decimus Junius Albinus (1st century BC) - praetor in 48, commander of Caesar, participant in the conspiracy against him in 44; 2) B. Lucius Junius (VI century BC) - the legendary founder of the Roman Republic, participated in the expulsion of the last Roman king Tarquinius the Proud (509), died in a duel with his son; 3) B. Marcus Junius (85-42 BC) - Roman statesman and politician, supporter of Cicero, possibly the illegitimate son of Julius Caesar. Since 46, the governor of the province of Cisalpine Gaul, since 44, the praetor, participated in a conspiracy against Caesar. Committed suicide after defeat in the battle with the Senate troops at Philippi (42).

BUSIRIS- in Greek mythology, the king of Egypt, the son of Poseidon or Egypt and Lysianassa. He sacrificed all the foreigners who came to Egypt to Zeus. Killed by Hercules on his way to the Garden of the Hesperides.

BAVILA(d. 251 AD) - hieromartyr, Bishop of Antioch (238-251), suffered martyrdom under the emperor Decius. Memory 4/17 September.

BACCHUS- see Dionysus.

VALENTINIAN III Flavius ​​Placidus (419-451) - Emperor of the Western Roman Empire (from 425), until 454 he was under the influence of the commander Aetius. Under V. III, the Western Empire further disintegrated as a result of the invasion of barbarian tribes. He died at the hands of Aetius' supporters after the latter's murder.

VALERIAN Publius Licinius (c. 193 - after 260) - Roman emperor (253-259), came from a senatorial family, was a military leader in the province of Raetia, was proclaimed emperor by his troops, organized the persecution of Christians (257-258), during the Eastern crisis empire reached its highest point. He died in captivity of the Persian king.

VAR Quintilius (c. 46 BC - 9 AD) - Roman commander, descended from a patrician family, consul of 13 BC, then governor of Syria, suppressed the uprising of the Jews in 6-4. BC, was the commander-in-chief of the Roman troops in Germany, suffered a heavy defeat from the Germans in the Teutoburg Forest (9 AD) and committed suicide.

VENUS- see Aphrodite.

VESPASIAN Titus Flavius ​​(9-79) - Roman emperor (from 69), founder of the Flavian dynasty, the first emperor of non-Natal origin, under his command the suppression of the uprising in Judea began (66-73). The board of V. was held financial reform, there were wars in Germany and Britain.

VESTA- Roman deity of the hearth and fire. The most ancient religious cult in Rome is of pre-Latin origin. In the Temple of Vesta, the Vestal Priestesses maintained the eternal flame.

VICTORIA- see Nika.

VOLCANO- see Hephaestus.