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Roman gods were not merely “copies” of Greek deities. Many had entirely different origins.
Roman gods influenced every aspect of life in the Eternal City, but they did not interact with humans to the extent their Greek counterparts did. Furthermore, at the core of the Roman belief system was the idea that deities never visited the realm of mortals. What else do we know about Roman gods? In this article, I will answer that question.
The deities of ancient Rome are often portrayed as beings borrowed from the beliefs of ancient Greeks. While Greek gods do indeed appear in the pantheon of the Eternal City, it is important to emphasize that Roman mythology began to develop many centuries before the influence of the Greeks. As a result, not all Roman gods can be equated with the Olympians.
How many gods are there in Roman mythology?
The religion of the Romans in its earliest form has its roots in the primitive beliefs of Indo-European peoples. In later years, the development of the Roman belief system was influenced by the Etruscans and the Greeks. During imperial times, Romans willingly incorporated the deities of the peoples they conquered into their pantheon. It was a Roman custom to pray to the gods of their enemies and invite them into their own pantheon.
