Early Roman religions were modified not only by the incorporation of new beliefs in later times, but also by the assimilation of much of Greek mythology.
Roman ritual clearly differentiates between two types of gods, the di indigetes and the di novensides or novensides. The indigetes were the national protective gods of the state and the titles of the first priests. The fixed festivities of the calendar indicated their names and nature; thirty of these gods were worshiped at special festivals. The novensides were later deities whose cults were introduced into the historical period. The first Roman deities included, in addition to the di indigetes, a series of gods, each of whom protected a human activity and had his name invoked when that activity was carried out. Thus, for example, Jano and Vesta guarded the door and the hearth respectively; the Homes protected the field and the house; Pales, the herds; Saturn, the sowing; Ceres, the growth of cereals; Pomona, the fruits; and Consus and Ops, the crops.
Even the majestic Jupiter, the ruler of the gods, was worshiped for the help his rains could bring to farms and vineyards. In its most comprehensive aspect, it was considered, by the power of its ray, in charge of governing human activity and, by the breadth of its domain, the protector of the Romans in their military activities on the borders of their own community. In the early days, the gods Mars and Quirino, often identified with each other, stood out. Mars was the god of youth and their activities, especially war, and Quirinus was the patron of the armed community in peacetime.
Contrary to what happened in Greek mythology, the Romans did not consider the gods to act like mortals and, therefore, left no accounts of their activities.
The absorption of the native gods of the countries neighbors happened when Rome conquered the territories around it. The Romans used to give the local gods of conquered territories the same honors as their own.
Together with Castor and Pollux, thanks to this process of cultural assimilation, they seem to have contributed to the Roman pantheon Diana, Minerva, Hercules, Venus and other minor deities, some of them Roman and others coming from Greece. Important Roman gods and goddesses ended up identifying with the more anthropomorphic Greek goddesses and gods, whose attributes and myths were also incorporated.
Roman Civilization
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