Luna, Moon Goddess

Volunteer blog - Jackie James
The ancient Roman moon goddess, Luna, derives her name from the Latin lucere, meaning ‘to shine’ and was seen not only as the divine embodiment of the moon but also the female counterpart of the sun, Sol. Read more

Bellona - Roman Goddess of War

Volunteer Blog - Jackie James
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. 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. Read more

Flora the Goddess of Flowers

Volunteer Blog - Meta Waters
Floralias - is it a festival to pay homage to Flora, the goddess of flowers and blossoming plants, or a bawdy and pleasure-seeking celebration?  Well, a lot of both in my view. Read more

The Dioscuri - Castor and Pollux

Volunteer Blog - Richard Ayling
If you look up to the southern sky, during the winter, near the constellations of Orion and Taurus there are two bright stars: Castor and Pollux. These two stars are part of the constellation of Gemini. Find out more about them here. Read more

Salus, goddess of security, prosperity and well-being

Volunteer Blog - Pat Hirst
In ancient Rome, the goddess Salus was the personification of security, prosperity and well-being of both the individual and the state, publicly and privately. Find out more here. Read more

Neptunalia - Festival of Neptune

Volunteer Blog - Pat Hirst
The Neptunalia were games and festivals in honour of Neptune god of the Sea. Entertainment would have probably included horse racing. Find out more about the god and festival here. Read more

The history of the Lucus

Volunteer Blog - Sheila Cadge
Sacred groves, or patches of woodland thought to hold spiritual or symbolic values, have existed since ancient times, and can still be found today in West Africa, India, and Japan, among other places. As well as playing a part in Roman religion they were important in ancient Celtic and various Northern European religious practices. Read more

Ceres and the Festival of Cerialia

Volunteer Blog - Patricia Gillespie
Whenever we talk about breakfast cereal and cereal crops, we are invoking the name of Ceres, the Roman Goddess of agriculture. So why did the Romans worship and celebrate her? What was her role? Why was she important? Find out more here. Read more

Venus and Cupid

Volunteer Blog - Sheila Cadge
As Valentine’s Day approaches, we often think of love and we associate Venus and Cupid with this holiday. This blog looks at these mother and son and their relevance to our modern connections to this time of year. Read more