Epona is said to be "the sole Celtic divinity ultimately worshipped in Rome itself" (see Wikipedia article quoting Phyllis Fray Bober).
Is there any reason this divinity in particular was worshipped in the Roman Empire and none of the numerous other Celtic gods despite the apparent habit of Romans to borrow divinities from everyone they conquered?
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Could be because she was a protector-type goddess. Also, she's revered as the goddess of fertility. These factors perhaps increased her importance in the Roman empire.– Ero SɘnninApr 29, 2015 at 14:52
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1 Answer
Epona was a protector goddess and also the goddess of fertility and was welcomed into many homesteads at the time because she just about covered everything. The Romans believed that they should never anger the gods and so when a new god surfaced that had a high likability like Epona, the Romans took them in.
However, Epona wasn't highly worshiped by Roman Soldiers because she didn't hold powers that the soldiers requested.
Epona was only worshiped by mothers and farmers and was probably only worshiped in the Northern parts of the Roman Empire.
answered Apr 30, 2015 at 5:42
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This answer is wrong on several points. Epona was worshiped by soldiers because of her connection to cavalry, and the fact that she was the only deity venerated in Rome proper shows her widespread popularity.– DanMar 6, 2020 at 16:45