The Twelve Main Roman Gods & Goddesses

1. Apollo

1.1. God of music, healing, light and truth.

1.2. One of the few Roman gods who kept the same name as the Greek counterpart

1.3. Twin of Diana

2. Diana

2.1. Goddess of the hunt, the moon and birth

2.2. To some Diana was also considered to be goddess of lower classes (esp for slaves)

2.3. Twin of Apollo

3. Vulcan

3.1. God of fire, volcanoes, metal work and the forge

3.2. Maker of the weapons of the gods

3.3. There is a saying that if he became too angered, volcanoes would erupt

4. Vesta

4.1. Goddess of the hearth, home and domestic life

4.2. A flame is kept burning in her temple to represent the “hearth of Rome”

5. Mercury

5.1. God of profit, trade, eloquence, communication, travel, trickery and thieves

5.2. Wears a helmet and sandals with wings as he is the messenger of the gods

5.3. He was also a roman psychopomp, tasked with guiding the souls of the dead to the underworld

6. Minerva

6.1. Goddess of wisdom, arts, trade and strategy

6.2. Born of the head of Jupiter after he swallowed her mother Metis

7. Jupiter

7.1. God of the sky, thunder and lightning

7.2. King of the Gods

7.3. Overthrew his father Saturn

7.4. Married to Juno

8. Juno

8.1. Goddess of marriage, childbirth and women

8.2. Marrried to Jupiter

8.3. Queen of the Gods & Goddesses

9. Neptune

9.1. God of the freshwater and the sea, along with earthquakes, hurricanes and horses.

9.2. Brother of Jupiter, Juno & Pluto

10. Venus

10.1. Goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, desire and prosperity

10.2. Born from the foam of the sea after Saturn castrated his father Uranus into it

10.3. Married to Vulcan

11. Mars

11.1. God of war, guardian of agriculture and the embodiment of virility and aggression.

11.2. Son of Juno

11.3. Venus’ lover in adultery and the father of Romulus — founder of Rome and Remus

12. Ceres

12.1. Goddess of agriculture, grain, women, motherhood and marriage

12.2. It is said that the cycle of seasons coincided with Ceres’ mood (related to her daughter, Proserpina)