3/18/2023 0 Comments Bellona roma invictaModern scholarly articles are also few and far between and although inscriptions recovered within Rome and throughout the Roman Empire provide some detail, there are gaps in our knowledge.īellona is generally depicted wearing a military helmet and armour whilst carrying a shield and brandishing either a spear, a sword, a bloody whip or a blood red torch. There are many brief mentions of Bellona by ancient writers and historians Livy records multiple senatorial meetings within her temple and her exploits are mentioned by several 1st century Roman poets Ovid, Virgil, Tibullus, Statius, Martial and Juvenal (see appendix). Although honoured by an annual Feriae celebrated on June 3rd, her origins are obscure with little documented evidence for her cult in pre-republican Rome. Given the importance of military success to the Romans, one would expect that a war Goddess such as Bellona would be a well documented major deity. The list, if such a thing existed, of Roman gods was neither closed nor exclusive and the polytheistic Romans thought nothing of adopting, as their own, useful gods worshipped in captured provinces, although these did not feature on the official calendar. Wealthy devotees, keen to impress, may have hosted large public spectacles. These gods were honoured by individuals and families in private ceremonies within households or public spaces. Public celebrations, Sacra Publica, were not bestowed on the more ‘ minor' gods, who failed to make it onto the official calendar. These were collective celebrations, recognised by the entire community, organised or supervised by the Senate, funded by public money and allocated a specific date in the official Roman calendar. Like much else in Roman life, status was paramount: the ‘ important’ gods, such as Jupiter (Best and Greatest) were honoured with official festivals, Feriae, which generally took place within or around specified temples. the Romans believed in and worshipped many gods, with festivals being celebrated and sacrifices being offered throughout the year. Until the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the mid 4th century, Rome was essentially polytheistic i.e.
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