Dii Consentes

• Dii Consentes was the Roman Pantheon of Twelve Gods and was the same as the Greek Pantheon of Twelve Olympians.
• They were listed by the Poet Ennius in the 3rd Century BCE, as six male Gods and six female Gods.

Livy’s Pairings

• Jupiter – Juno
• Neptune – Minerva
• Mars – Venus
• Apollo – Diana
• Vulcan – Vesta
• Mercury – Ceres

The Six Male Gods

• Jupiter (Zeus)
  • King of the Gods and Ruler of Mount Olympus.
  • God of the sky and thunder. Married to Juno.
• Mars (Ares)
  • God of War.
  • Son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Juno (Hiera).
• Mercury (Hermes)
  • Messenger of the Gods.
  • God of commerce and thieves. Son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Maia.
• Neptune (Poseidon)
  • God of the Sea, earthquakes and horses.
• Vulcan (Haphaestus)
  • God of fire and the forge.
  • Son of Juno (Hiera) and possibly Jupiter (Zeus). Married to Venus (Aphrodite). Giving the latin word – volcano.
• Apollo (Apollo)
  • God of Light, Knowledge and Prophesy.
  • Son of Jupiter (Zeus) and Leto: Twin brother of Diana (Artemis).

The Six Goddesses

• Juno (Hiera)
  • Queen of the Gods. Goddess of marriage and family.
  • Married to Jupiter.
• Vesta (Hestia)
  • Virgin Goddess of the hearth, home and the family.
  • Her Temple was maintained by the Vestal Virgins
• Minerva (Athena)
  • Virgin Goddess of wisdom, handicrafts and strategic warfare and defense.
  • Daughter of Jupiter (Zeus) and Oceanid Metis.
• Ceres (Demeter)
  • Goddess of fertility, agriculture, the seasons and nature.
  • Daughter of Saturn (Cronus ) and Rhea. leading to the latin word – cereal.
• Diana (Artemis)
  • Virgin Goddess of the hunt, virginity, childbirth, animals and archery.
  • Daughter of Jupiter (Zeus) and Leto. Twin sister to Apollo. (Unmarried)
• Venus (Aphrodite)
  • Goddess of love, beauty and desire.
  • Daughter of Jupiter (Zeus) and Oceanid Dione. Married to Vulcan (Hephaestus) but had many affairs giving the latin term – venereal. The most well known affair was with Mars (Ares)

The Capitoline Triad: Jupiter, Juno and Minerva

• In Rome and throughout Italy, a Capitolium, was a Temple dedicated to the Triad of Jupiter (King of the Gods), Juno (Queen of the Gods and Jupiter’s wife}, and their daughter Minerva (Goddess of wisdom).
• The Temple of Jupiter in Rome housed the Triad, each God had a separate chamber (cella), with Juno on the left, Minerva on the right and Jupiter in the middle.