The pantheon of ancient Roman deities is a large one; and almost all aspects of life in the Roman Empire had a god or goddess associated with it.

In the simplest terms the mythology of Rome can be equated with that of Ancient Greece, with Roman names substituted for Greek ones. Whilst Ancient Rome did incorporate a huge amount of the mythology of Ancient Greece in its own, it also had deities from the time of the kings of Rome, and later on it would incorporate deities from conquered lands into its own pantheon.

At the core of the Roman pantheon were twelve deities, just as there were twelve Olympians in Ancient Greece.

Jupiter (Zeus)

Jupiter, of Jove, was the supreme rulers of the Roman pantheon, and also god of the sky. Known for his lightning bolts, Jupiter’s military might was closely associated with the Roman legions. As the highest form of authority, Jupiter was also a figurehead for the order of society and bureaucracy of Rome.     

Juno (Hera) 

Juno was the wife of Jupiter, and therefore queen of the gods and was also the goddess of marriage. Widely considered one of the most important Roman deities, especially in the later period, Juno was goddess of Rome as well as a member of the Capitoline Triad, alongside Jupiter and Minerva.

Neptune (Poseidon) 

Brother of Jupiter, Neptune was the god of freshwater and the sea; both important elements of the world to the Ancient Romans. Neptune was also closely associated with horses, an important area in the leisure periods of the Ancient Romans with horse racing and charioteering.  

Minerva (Athena) 

As part of the Capitoline Triad, Minerva was an important deity amongst the Roman pantheon, and was particularly associated with wisdom, art and war.

Mars (Ares) 

Mars was the god of war and agriculture, and unsurprisingly was an important Roman deity for the Roman army and legions. Mars’ importance dwindled slightly with the rise of his mother Juno and Minerva, but the god was once part of the Archaic Triad alongside Jupiter and Quirinus.

Venus (Aphrodite) 

The goddess of beauty, sex and love, Venus was venerated by the Romans as one of their own ancestors; Romans being said to have been descendents of her son, Aeneas.

Apollo (Apollo) 

One of the few Greek gods whose name transferred on to their Roman equivalent, Apollo was the Roman god of light and prophecy. With prophecy in mind, Apollo was associated with the oracles of the ancient world; for Ancient Romans in particular the Cumaean Sibyl was consulted when important decisions were to be made.

Diana (Artemis) 

Diana was the twin sister of Apollo, and the goddess of the hunt and birth.

Vulcan (Hephaestus) 

Vulcan was the god of fire and metallurgy, and was the creator of divine weapons. Ancient Romans would equate volcanic eruptions and rumblings with his underground workshops.

Vesta (Hestia) 

Vesta was another of the important deities of Ancient Rome. The goddess of the family and the hearth, she was also protector of the sacred fire. When associated with the sacred fire, Vesta was both a symbol of Rome and also its protector. Her importance was also noted by the presence of the Vestal Virgins as guardians of the sacred fire in her temple.

Mercury (Hermes) 

Mercury was the messenger of the gods, as well as the god of trade and financial gain. Mercury was widely worshiped amongst Ancient Romans, and had many shrines and temples dedicated to him.

Ceres (Demeter) 

Considered one of the more benevolent goddesses of Roman mythology, Ceres was an agriculture goddess, but was also closely associated with fertility.  

Other notable Roman deities include Pluto (Hades); Cupid (Eros), god of love; Luna (Selene), goddess of the moon; Sol (Helios), god of the sun; Tellus (Gaia), mother earth; Saturn (Kronos); Orcus (Horkos), god of the underworld; and Liber (Dionysus/Bacchus), god of wine.

One important Roman deity not found in the Greek pantheon was Janus, the god of transitions and beginnings. The month of January would be named after him.

Arguably the most famous Roman god not associated with Ancient Greece was Mithras. Mithras was the Greco-Roman version of the Persian deity Mithra. To the Romans, Mithras was a sun god associated with the Primeval Bull; and a cult grew up associated with him. Mithras was also a god closely associated with Roman soldiers and as a result his worship spread throughout the Roman Empire.

This though is only a small selection of the gods and goddesses from Roman mythology, and people across the Roman Empire worshiped many more deities.