The Fates and the Roman gods
-W H A T I S F A T E ?
-W H A T W A S T H E I R R O L E I N T H E A E N E I D ?
THE ROMAN GODS AND THEIR GREEK
EQUIVALENT
-I M P O R T A N T G O D S F R O M T H E A E N E I D
Quiz
 Juno is angry at Aeneas because he insulted her by
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choosing Venus over her. T/F
When was the Aeneid written?
When did the Trojan War take place?
What are the two main historical elements in the Aeneid?
What historical people are Aeneas and Dido compared
to?
Give a brief definition of Fate using your own knowledge.
What is Fate?
 Fate “ a fixed order of things” .
 Fate means that there are unchangeable laws and
inevitable outcomes. It was fate that Troy would fall
and that Aeneas would be the founding father of the
Roman race.
 Neither the gods or the humans can change what
Fate has decreed.
More information on Fate….
 Virgil’s philosophical background –the Stoics
“conceived the whole world as subject to a single
controlling purpose”.
 The Aeneid reflects a feeling about the supernatural
which reflects Roman national sentiment (that they
were destined to be a great empire). It also vindicates
Roman religion (that Fate and the gods were an
integral part of Roman society).
QUIRKY QUESTION OF THE DAY
 Which North African seaport's name is Spanish for
white house? Clue: a 1943 film with Humphrey
Bogart and Ingrid Bergman was called this.
 CASABLANCA
Roman gods
 Read the introduction by Taylor (The Aeneid of Virgil)
and answer the following questions:
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Why did the Greeks and Romans create myths?
Who is Jove?
Give the Greek equivalent of Pluto and Juno.
Where did the gods reside?
What are Neptune’s personality traits and what natural phenomenon
do they explain?
Explain what “a sop to Cerberus” means.
What was Tartarus?
How was Mercury entangled in the Trojan War?
How does Jupiter react to the abduction of Helen?
What is Taylor’s interpretation of the Aeneid?
Activity
 Present the following information in a concept map,
bullet points or a series of pictorials.
The Roman gods
Important things you NEED to KNOW!
 Anthropomorphism – depicting the gods in human form.
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Necessary for working the gods into the text.
Hierarchal system – Jupiter is supreme, head of the
pantheon (27 B.C.) and the other gods below him have
smaller functions.
For many of the gods their actions are selfish and in their
own interests. These actions have an impact on the
humans. Example: Juno and Aeneas or Venus and Dido.
Their actions explain natural events like Aeolus’ storm
which was calmed by Neptune.
Unlike Fate people can appeal to the gods through ritual
and prayer for a more favourable outcome.
Fortune and Fate work together behind the scenes.
The Roman gods cont.
 Aeneas was required to save the gods Vesta, Lares
and Penates from Troy and bring them to Italy so
they could be established there. Some gods already
existed there.
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Penates :a smaller deity. Looked over houses (like the Greek
Hermes). The statues were placed in the inner most part of the
house and known as Penates. In Book II, one is noted next to
an altar in King Priam’s palace.
Lares: looked after the family. Lar familias – spiritual ruler of
the home. Paterfamilias – physical ruler of the home.
The Roman gods and their Greek counterparts
 Go through the list of names provided and
highlight/underline the gods (especially the 12
Olympians: Jupiter, Juno, Venus, Vulcan, Neptune,
Pluto, Vesta, Apollo, Diana, Mars, Mercury and
Minerva).
 Give the 12 Olympian gods their Greek names.
 Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Poseidon,
Hades, Hestia, Apollo, Demeter, Ares, Hermes and
Athena.