Roman Gods

Mercury

• Mercury was the god of travellers
• Greek name: Hermes
• Mercury or Quicksilver is a liquid metal.
  Mercurial means light-hearted and active
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/mercury.htm

Venus

• Goddess of love
• Venus was born in the sea
•  first came to shore at Cyprus, floating on a scallop shell
• Greek name: Aphrodite
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/venus.htm

Mars

• God of war
• Greek name: Ares
• English word: Martial means warlike
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/mars.htm

Jupiter

• King of the gods
• Greek name: Zeus
• His weapon was the Thunderbolt (thunder and lightning
• Wonder of the World: Statue at Olympia
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/jupiter.htm

Saturn

• God of time
• Greek name: Cronos
• English word: Saturnine means serious and gloomy
•  his weapon was a scythe
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/saturn.htm

Neptune

• God of the sea
• Greek name: Poseidon
• He carried a trident, which had three prongs
• Neptune was the god of earthquakes. He was called the Earth-shaker
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/neptune.htm

Pluto

• God of Death
• Greek name: Hades
• English word Plutonium
• When someone died, they travelled down to the Underworld. First, they had to cross the River of the Dead, called the Styx. Everyone was buried with a coin, to pay the ferryman, Charon. Then they had to get past Cerberus, a fierce dog with three heads, which would only let the Dead through. Finally they had to come before the Judges of the Dead. The only living man to fight Cerberus was Hercules, the strongest man in the world. He had to bring Cerberus back from the Underworld. (He let it go afterwards.)
• http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/roman/pluto.htm