Like that of the ancient Greeks, the religion of the ancient Romans was polytheistic. The Romans worshiped many gods and goddesses, who were based on those observed by the ancient Greeks. Roman gods and goddesses (and their stories) were used to explain occurrences ranging from weather and natural phenomena, like earthquakes and flooding; human emotions and personality traits, like love and hate; as well as major and minor life events, like childbirth and marriage. In this topic, you will learn about the gods and goddesses from ancient Rome. In addition, you will learn how they corresponded to Greek gods and goddesses.

Essential Question

• Who were the important gods and goddesses in the Roman pantheon and who were their Greek counterparts?

 

Warm-Up

With the exception of the planet Earth, all of the planets in the Solar System are named after Greek and Roman gods and goddesses. In this interactivity, you will explore the names of planets in the Solar System. As you view the names, make note of each planet's characteristics shown in the picture. Once you learn about each of the Roman gods and goddesses, consider if any of those characteristics may have contributed to the naming of the planet. Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of this interactivity.