Roman Paganism: Capitol Triad (4)

Notes:

Triads of Roman Gods

The Romans had several Trios of Gods to oversee their State affairs. The Archaic Triad, the first, consisted of Jupiter (the Ruler of the Heavens), Mars (Guardian of the Crops), and Quirinus (God of Roman Civic Life).  Later this trio was superseded by the Capitoline Triad.

The Capitoline Triad was Jupiter Optimus Maximus (the Supreme God), Juno Regina (Ruler of the State), and Minerva (Goddess of Wisdom).  The Capitolium, a temple on Capitoline Hill, hosted these Gods.  This grouping of a male God with two females reflects Etruscan influence (of Tinia (Supreme Deity), Uni (his wife), and Menrva (their daughter, Goddess of Wisdom).    

Meanwhile, the plebeians venerated the Aventine Trio.  The temple of Ceres (the Goddess of Agriculture) on Aventine Hill, housed the City’s grain supply.  This temple also hosted Liber and Libera, Gods who oversaw the fertility of the fields.  These three Gods (Ceres, Liber, Libera), together, looked after the plebeians.

Works Used

____, Nova Roma, 2011, 05 July 2011 <http://www.novaroma.org>

Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, "Dictionary of Roman Religion”, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Asborn, Kevin and Dana Burgess, “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Classical Mythology”, New York: Penguin Publishing, 2004

Ovid, “Fasti”, translated by Betty Rose Nagle, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1995.

Scheid, John, “An Introduction to Roman Religion”, translated by Janet Lloyd, Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2003.

Turcan, Robert, “The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from Archaic to Imperial Times”, translated by Antonia Nevill, New York: Edinburgh University Press, 2001.

Warrior, Valerie, “Roman Religion: A Source Book”, New York: Focus Publishing, 2002.

Roman Paganism: Capitol Triad (2)

Menrva/Minerva

Etruscan Influence

One characteristic of the multi-cultural Roman religion is the adoption of other Gods as needed.  At other times, certain aspects of various Gods would be combined into one God or foreign Gods were correlated with Roman ones.  Influenced by the Etruscans, the original Triad of Gods overseeing Roman life changed. 

The Etruscans had their own Triad of Gods: Tinia, Uni, and Menrva.  Their Supreme God was Tinia (Tin).  To them, He was Father Time since He governed time as well as the skies.  Tinia was usually depicted hurling lightening bolts.  (Saturn, not Jupiter, was Father Time for the Romans.)

Meanwhile, His Wife and Sister, Uni was the supreme Goddess of the Etruscans.  She protected them and their rulers.  In addition, Uni governed all aspects of Etruscan womanhood from the wedding to nursing children.  (Juno, as the wife of the Roman Jupiter, was equated to Uni.)

Tinia and Uni’s daughter was Menrva, the Goddess of War, Wisdom, and the Arts.  She was usually depicted with a helmet and spear.  Since She governed the weather, Menrva also threw lightening bolts.  (The Roman Minerva was originally this Etruscan Goddess.)

Capitoline Triad (Jupiter, Juno, Minerva)

The Capitoline Triad oversaw the affairs of Rome and her people.  Jupiter Optimus Maximus (Brightest and Best) protected the state.  In addition, Juno Regina was the guardian of Rome.  Together, They guided the affairs of the Roman people.  Meanwhile, Minerva was the Patron of Doctors and the Arts.

After the wars with the Sabines, King Tarquin Priscus asked the Deities of a shrine on Capitoline Hill to move so that he could build a temple to Jupiter Optimus Maximus.  In exchange for their leaving, he promised Them a new temple elsewhere (exauguration).  All the Gods did except for Terminus, the God of Boundaries.  The Romans regarded this as a good omen.  The new temple was dedicated to Jupiter, Juno Regina, and Minerva (the Capitoline Triad).  (However, a part of it remained a shrine to Terminus.) On the Ides of September, the praetor maximus (head magistrate) would drive a nail into the wall of the temple (cella Iovis).  This was to ward off the plague for another year.

The main temple for the Capitoline Triad had three rooms with each God having their own space.  Jupiter Optimus Maximus occupied the center cella (room), with Juno Regina on the left and Minerva on the right.  Although the temple was build during the time of Roman Kings, it was dedicated by the first Consul of the Roman Republic.

Known as The Shining Father (“Dies Pater”), Jupiter, according to the Romans, is the Ruler of the Cosmos.  Jupiter Optimus Maximus (IOM) is the Supreme Roman God.  As the Lord of the Sky, He makes his will known through thunder and lightning.  Any piece of land struck by lightning belongs to Him alone. 

The Romans looked to Jupiter as the Protector of Rome and its laws.  They saw Him in many aspects of governance.  As a member of both the Archaic and Capitoline Triads, Jupiter Optimus Maximus oversaw Roman affairs.  As Jupiter Lapis, He presided over solemn oaths.  Meanwhile, Jupiter Feretrius presided over treaties and just wars.  Jupiter Stator encouraged the Romans to stand their ground against the Sabines and later the Samnites.

Jupiter Pistor appeared to the Romans during the siege of their Capitol by the Gauls.  He told them to hurl bread at the attacking Gauls.  Believing that the Romans had ample supplies, they decided to leave.  The Gauls ended their siege not knowing that the Romans had thrown the last of the food stores at them.

In addition, many of Jupiter’s titles allude to his control of the weather.  The Romans delineated his many forms of thunder and lightning in their names for Him.  Jupiter Elicius regulated the rainfall, while Jupiter Tonans nearly struck the Emperor Augustus with lightning.

The oldest temple for Jupiter was Jupiter Feretrius, founded by Romulus.  This temple was a repository of ritual implements for dedicating treaties.  To declare war, the fetialis (priest-diplomat of Jupiter) would hurl a spear from the temple into enemy territory.  To solemnize a treaty with foreign governments, the fetialis, using the lapis silex (flint) of Jupiter Feretrius, sacrificed a pig.

Roman Paganism: Capitol Triad (1)

Mars

The Capitoline Triad: Introduction

In ancient times, the Capitoline Triad watched over the Roman people and their nation.  From the founding of Rome, this Triad represented the ideals of statesmanship, liberty, and the arts for the Romans.  Although there is no “official” Capitoline Triad today, I believe that these three Gods would oversee the affairs of nations when asked.  They are willing to work in partnership with our leaders, as They did with the ancient Romans.

At the founding of Rome, the original Roman Triad was Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus (three males).  As Etruscan influences grew on Romans, so the composition of the Triad changed.  The Capitoline Triad that is known today is Jupiter Optimus Maximus (Best and Brightest), June Regina (Queen of Heaven), and Minerva (two females and one male).  What is unusual about this Triad is that is it is a mixture of female and male Gods, with the females outnumbering the male.  This combination is rare in Indo-European triads.

Archaic Triad (Original Triad)

During the times of the Roman Kings, the original Triad (now referred to as “Archaic”) was Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus.  As the Roman God of Thunder, Jupiter was the Supreme Ruler of the Heavens.  He offered governance to the Roman people.  As the Guardian of the Fields, Mars was the Protector of the People.  Meanwhile, Quirinus was the God of the Roman People. 

Jupiter is discussed more in depth in the section on the Capitoline Triad

Mars was originally was a God associated with the promotion of agriculture. As Mars Silvianus, He watched over the fields.  Only later did He become associated with the Greek god, Ares as a protector of crops.  When Rome expanded its boundaries, Mars became a God of War. One of the original guardians of Rome, Mars was a member of the Archaic Triad with Jupiter and Quirinus. 

Because of his importance to Rome, Mars was honored with the Suovetaurilla, the triple sacrifice of a bull, ram, and boar.  In addition, He is only one of three Gods (Neptune and Apollo) to whom the Romans sacrificed a bull.  Mars had an altar (Ara Martis) on the Campus Martius served by a single priest – the flamen Martialis.

As One of the original Capitoline Triad (which included Mars and Jupiter), Quirinus watched over Rome.  Romans regarded this God in two ways.  One is that He is the deified Romulus (who was taken into the heavens, by Mars, his rumored father).  Quirinus is also a God of the Sabines, who was worshipped on the Quirinal Hill in Rome.  Either way, He is served his own Flamen (priest).  In their civic sense, Romans are often addressed “Quirites”.

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