|
Here is some information about understanding and interpreting this family tree of the Roman gods and goddesses. Starting from the top, the first two names on this chart - Saturn and Ops - represent the parents of the major gods of the Roman pantheon. The second row of names includes the deities of the first generation of important offspring. They are Jupiter, Vesta, Juno, Ceres, Pluto, and Neptune. The second generation consists of Apollo, Diana, Vulcan, Mars, and Minerva. While Proserpina (who was the daughter of Ceres and Jupiter) and Hebe (the child of Jupiter and Juno) are significant goddesses, they are not usually categorized in the same class as their more illustrious siblings. Latona is the daughter of Coeus and Phoebe.
Astute students of Roman mythology will also notice that a trio of essential names is missing from this chart. Bacchus (the Roman god of wine), Mercury (the Roman god of merchants), and Venus (the Roman goddess of love and beauty) are all noticeably absent from the list. This was done in the interest of space and legibility, and the omission is not in any way meant to diminish the significance of these divine beings. It is worth noting that these three gods were all the children of Jupiter: Bacchus was the son of Jupiter and Semele, Mercury was the son of Jupiter and Maia, and Venus was considered by some sources to be the daughter of Jupiter and Dione.
|
