Questions tagged [roman]

For questions about Roman mythology and legends.

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How is 𐌂𐌀𐌕𐌌𐌉𐌕𐌄, a.k.a Catamite, the Etruscan form of Gadymedes?

It's obvious why ๐Œ‚๐Œ€๐Œ•๐ŒŒ๐Œ‰๐Œ•๐Œ„ is catamite, but not how the Etruscans got it from "Gadymedes". Is it just "We know they're the same character / name, but we dunno how the Etruscans got ...
Malady's user avatar
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0 votes
2 answers
118 views

What is the greek/roman myth with woman proud of her three sons but they die

I remember (and I may be mis-remembering some things) a myth where there was a mother and her three sons doted over her and ran for her every wish. The three sons carried her somewhere and got her ...
user1202605's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
51 views

What is the deal with Janus?

Is Janus the Roman deity a primordial being like Terra or something that came after (Titan/God)? Did he mingle with Jupiter and the others in the pantheon?
Marduk Trimegistus's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
145 views

Besides Apollo, no main Roman god shared the name of its Greek version -- why?

Was this deliberate or is it more than we decided upon the correspondence and the Romans did not see them necessarily as the exact same god? If deliberate, did the Romans want to separate their ...
releseabe's user avatar
  • 111
5 votes
0 answers
663 views

What is the source of the idea that Medusa was a priestess of Athena?

Medusa is a monster in Greek mythology known for being associated in some way with the gods Poseidon and Athena. By Poseidon she conceived a pair of twin sons, namely the winged horse Pegasus and some ...
Adinkra's user avatar
  • 9,772
1 vote
1 answer
871 views

What portals are there in mythologies?

I'd be interested to know about the mentions of portals in mythologies. By portals, I mean accesses/gates towards other locations, worlds, dimensions. I've found this notion several times but in my ...
Jai Ho's user avatar
  • 11
1 vote
1 answer
87 views

Was there a Roman festival where people dressed in skins?

In the middle of a discussion on different pagan Roman festivals, the Talmud in Tractate Avodah Zara 11b describes a certain Roman festival: "Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: They have another ...
Harel13's user avatar
  • 942
3 votes
1 answer
123 views

Is it the Muses depicted on the façade of 100 Broadway, Manhattan?

The American Surety Building (also known as the Bank of Tokyo Building) is at 100 Broadway in Manhattan, in New York City. The building's faรงade is designed to look like the front of a Classical Greek ...
Adinkra's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
78 views

Is there any pre-modern attestation for Telephassa being a daughter of Nephele by the River Nile?

In Greek mythology, Telephassa's claim to fame is that she is, going by the commonest version of the genealogy, the mother of Kadmos [Cadmus], who built the citadel of Thebes in Boiotia [Boeotia]; of ...
Adinkra's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
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Which specific ancient sources did NOT consider Kronus and Chronos to be the same being?

Iโ€™ve always heard that Kronus (Titan of the Harvest) and Chronos (God/Personification of Time) are often confused by modern people but were actually considered two distinct beings in Ancient Greece. ...
Nerrolken's user avatar
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3 votes
2 answers
332 views

In what ancient source, if any, does the infant Hermes disguise himself as Ares?

According to this Answer to a Question regarding whether the Greek messenger-god Hermes was born mortal or not, the Third Vatican Mythographer, a mediaeval Latin text, knows of a version of the ...
Adinkra's user avatar
  • 9,772
3 votes
0 answers
94 views

Colosseum: religious significance of setting sun and moon?

While studying the geography of ancient Rome, and particular the position of the Colosseum, I noticed on a live webcam time-lapse replay of the Colosseum, that the full moon and sun settles over (or ...
user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
163 views

What would a Roman want to achieve with writing inscriptions and magical signs on bronze nails?

I was strolling through the Wikipedia page on bronze and found a picture of bronze nails from Roman times. Under the picture is a text saying Roman bronze nails with magical signs and inscriptions, ...
Tom Sol's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
189 views

Greco-Roman stories of a mother losing her daughter?

I am looking for Greco-Roman stories of a mother losing her young daughter and the grief that takes place as a consequence of such. I am writing a play where a similar thing occurs and would like to ...
Tom O' Bedlam's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
94 views

Is there a binary index of interactions between mythical personages of classical antiquity?

In the context of Greek and Roman mythology, suppose I'm interested in finding whether two prominent mythical personages (deities, heroes or other figures) are related or not by some written narrative,...
exp8j's user avatar
  • 221
4 votes
1 answer
94 views

Identifying Greco-Roman Mythology reference in Krazy Kat Kartoon

Some months ago I answered a question over on the Literature SE. The question was about a Krazy Kat strip from 1936. In the cartoon, Offisa Pupp takes a nap; he dreams that he meets Krazy and then ...
Spagirl's user avatar
  • 149
-5 votes
1 answer
168 views

What does Rome, Conquerors & Titans have in common?

I think something with Heracles, but I am unsure.
gsamaras's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
491 views

An ancient source for the myth of Venus' creation of red roses?

I asked a question Literature SE a few days ago, trying to make sense of some of the references in an English poem by William Drummond of Hawthornden. One portion of the poem describes Venus/Aphrodite ...
Tom Hosker's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
141 views

Is there a myth about someone who constantly creates their own demise?

Since this is certainly a common theme, I'm wondering if there is a myth about someone who ignorantly walks themselves repeatedly into ill-fate or their own misery. It would be like Sisyphus, but ...
Matt Weiler's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Tubal-cain (ืชึผื•ึผื‘ึทืœ ืงึทื™ึดืŸ) and Vulcan

In Hebrew, "B" and "V" are the same letter (ื‘), so without the "Tu", Tubalcain (ืชึผื•ึผื‘ึทืœ ืงึทื™ึดืŸ) and Vulcan are very similar names. The French spelling is "Vulcain&...
Ray Butterworth's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
396 views

How were Nymphs born in Roman Mythology?

I am writing a poem set in ancient Rome and am seeking stories that regard the birth (or process of birthing) nymphs to allude to. I certainly well considered that nymphs are more represented as "...
Tom O' Bedlam's user avatar
9 votes
4 answers
565 views

Were there cooks for the gods on Olympus in Greek(or Roman) Mythology

I am writing a play in which Greek mythology is a worshipful act and wanted to write that the gods decided to eat the humanly harvest rather than the food (ambrosia, the nectar) of Olympus. Are ...
Tom O' Bedlam's user avatar
-1 votes
2 answers
325 views

What are the similarities and differences between Greek gods and Roman gods?

I've seen that sometimes gods in Greek mythology have different names than the gods in Roman mythology. I've also seen that they are basically the same god just with a different name. What makes Greek ...
Confused's user avatar
4 votes
2 answers
200 views

Does the cap of Hades keep one's accessories hidden?

In Greek mythology, Hades' magic cap or helmet renders its wearer invisible. The most famous user of this piece of equipment is Hades' nephew, the hero Perseus, while on his mission to slay the Gorgon ...
Adinkra's user avatar
  • 9,772
8 votes
1 answer
493 views

Does Medusa's head turn one's clothing to stone together with its wearer?

Medusa and her two triplet Gorgon sisters, Sthenno and Euryale, are monsters from Greek and Roman mythology notorious for their ability to turn whoever looked upon them (or directly into their faces) ...
Adinkra's user avatar
  • 9,772
4 votes
1 answer
75 views

Who or what is Vergil referring to when he mentions God/Divine Intelligence in the Georgics?

So, I'm reading the book IV of Virgil's Georgics and was puzzled by the "God" mentioned in the following lines (starting at line 219 of James Rhoades' translation) Led by these tokens, and with ...
Othin's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
3k views

What do we know about the Roman goddesses Adeona and Abeona?

I've been trying to research the roles of the goddesses Adeona (or Adiona) and Abeona in Roman mythology, but am having great difficulty finding primary sources, such as the texts of Roman myths and ...
Astrid_Redfern's user avatar
3 votes
3 answers
909 views

Did the Romans and Greeks worship the sun as their sun god?

Did the Romans and Greeks worship the sun as their sun god, or was their sun god distinct from the astronomical sun? Can the same be said about the moon and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, ...
Geremia's user avatar
  • 495
5 votes
4 answers
4k views

Why did the Romans name the planets after their gods?

Why did the Romans name the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn after their gods? Or did they consider these planets those gods?
Geremia's user avatar
  • 495
4 votes
1 answer
496 views

Was Plutus the son of Pluto and Proserpina?

There are so many different answers to the "Who were Hades/Pluto and Persephone/Prosperina children?" question that I'm not sure if they even had children together at all anymore. One person ...
Flea's user avatar
  • 41
6 votes
2 answers
856 views

What is the connection between Poseidon and horses?

Since Poseidon is well known as the god of the God of the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses? What is the connection between Poseidon and horses? As a god of the sea the storms and earthquakes part ...
Tom Sol's user avatar
  • 4,051
5 votes
1 answer
180 views

What is the source of the story of the immaculate conception of Mars?

Kersey Graves discusses the immaculate conception of Mars: In Malcolm's "History of Persia" the author tells us that "Zoroaster was born of an immaculate conception by a ray from the Divine Reason....
yannis's user avatar
  • 17k
3 votes
0 answers
89 views

Why were metamorphoses so popular with ancient writers?

A brief search revealed five books by Greek and Roman writers on the subject of metamorphosis myths: "Metamorphoses" by Ovid "Metamorphoseon Synagoge" by Antoninus Liberalis "Metamorphoses (aka The ...
Narcissus's user avatar
  • 151
9 votes
1 answer
118 views

School in the Sky?

I'm looking for references to schools in the sky. Was there a school that the Greek gods attended? A university frequented by the Norse pantheon? An academy in Tian? I'd love any pointers you've ...
bill frumpterton's user avatar
7 votes
3 answers
4k views

Zeus' Lightning Bolt

Did Zeus'/Iupiters' lightning bolt ever attain it's own personal name, or did the Greeks and Romans only ever use generic words for thunder and lightning?
Johan88's user avatar
  • 525
11 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the relationship between Thor and storms?

We all know รžรณrr means thunder and that Mjวซllnir may possibly mean lightning, however, in all the texts I've read, there isn't a single mention (or at least not a relevant one) of a connection between ...
Ergative Man's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
163 views

Please help identify creature/character on necklace!

I have this necklace that I bought at antique shop long ago and Iโ€™ve had no luck with identifying what the creature may be. Does this happen to look familiar to anyone?
user5704's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
372 views

Greek or Roman equivalent of Bible

Wondering if there are any documents that document the Greek or Roman mythologies in a way similar to the bible, in that it acts as a comprehensive resource for all the knowledge about it. Maybe ...
Lance's user avatar
  • 415
5 votes
1 answer
67 views

Are there Evil Sybils or Diviners in Greco-Roman Tradition?

In the Judeo-Christian tradition there are people of Divine Insight who do evil, such as the Diviner Balaam. I'm wondering if there are Greco-Roman examples like this, especially regarding the ...
Johan88's user avatar
  • 525
4 votes
1 answer
155 views

What is this symbol on my necklace?

I bought this pendant in Italy around 10 years ago, I think from Rome. Iโ€™ve always been curious as to what the bird with the sun above it (etched onto the red glossy background) represents. I was a ...
P...'s user avatar
  • 151
6 votes
2 answers
281 views

When was a pair of Greek and Roman gods first identified?

There is a canonical correspondence between some Greek and Roman gods and goddesses, for example Ares and Mars. However, these two were originally different deities and quite different in nature. My ...
Joonas Ilmavirta's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
147 views

What deities did only one city/state recognize?

In research of past questions, I came across Eleos. Eleos is the personified daemon (lesser/inferior god) of piety, mercy, clemency (leniency), and compassion. She was always depicted as a young woman ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
1k views

Who kept the Cumaean Sybil in a jar (ampulla)?

I have previously asked a question about the Virgin of Cumae, or the Cumaean Sybil, so the info will, for the most part, just be a memorize and type deal. The Virgin of Cumae was a priestess with the ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
951 views

Did Hephaestus and Aphrodite get divorced?

I come across every now and then that the smith god and the love goddess got a divorce. But to contrast that, I read they are still together in Roman myths and times. Though I also have contrast to ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Did Greeks bow to their gods?

Is there an instance in which a Greek (or related, Roman, Trojan...) would bow to a god if they appeared? I would think not. Iliad Athena appears to Achilles, did not bow. Athena appears to Odysseus,...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
897 views

If the Trojans had a different language than the Achaeans, does this mean they spoke the same as Queen Dido?

I have previously asked if the Trojans called the gods by their Greek names (Athena, Demeter...) or their Roman names (Minerva, Ceres...). I was told they had their own language and the two sides had ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
7 votes
1 answer
588 views

Is the Cumaean Sybil known by any other name?

Warning- Extremely deep in Greek/Roman myth. The Virgin of Cumae, or the Cumaean Sybil, was a priestess with the gift of prophecy. She would write her prophecies on oak leaves an arrange them. But, ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
168 views

Was Saturn a person or god among the early Romans?

I've been very perplexed over the confusing matter regarding Saturn and how he was viewed by the early Romans. Some say he was a just king who ruled the Romans in a golden age, succeeding Janus. ...
bayezid's user avatar
  • 81
3 votes
2 answers
2k views

Did the Trojans worship the gods by their Greek or Roman names?

In the Iliad by Homer(and relating stories by him about the Trojan War), all the god's names are Greek. But in the Aeneid by Virgil, a story that takes place immediately during and after the fall of ...
Andrew Johnson's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
716 views

Why were the lungs left inside the mummy of Herakleides, instead of the heart?

In ancient Egyptian mummies, the heart was the only organ that stayed in the body. This was because the heart would be weighed against the feather of Ma'at in the Hall of Two Truths. The Romano-...
yannis's user avatar
  • 17k