The ''Lacus Iuturnae'', or ''Lacus Juturnae'' or Spring of

Juturna In the myth and religion of ancient Rome, Juturna, or Diuturna, was a goddess of fountains, wells and springs, and the mother of Fontus by Janus. Mythology Juturna was an ancient Latin deity of fountains, who in some myths was turned by Jupit ...

, is the name of a formal pool built by the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

near a

spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a h ...

or well in the Roman Forum. The pool was part of a shrine dedicated to the water nymph

, and the name ''Lacus Iuturnae'' is also used for the spring and the shrine, both next to the pool.Eva Margareta Steinby, "Lacus Iuturnae" in ''

Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae The ''Lexicon Topographicum Urbis Romae'' (1993–2000) is a six-volume, multilingual reference work considered to be the major, modern work covering the topography of ancient Rome. The editor is Eva Margareta Steinby, and the publisher is Edizion ...

''. Edizioni Quasar, 1993. B000TGC41S The site was initially excavated by Giacomo Boni in the early twentieth century. Excavations from the 1980s onwards were supervised by Eva Margareta Steinby.

Legends

The shrine marks a place where Roman legend claims the divine twins

Castor and Pollux Castor; grc, Κάστωρ, Kástōr, beaver. and Pollux. (or Polydeukes). are twin half-brothers in Greek and Roman mythology, known together as the Dioscuri.; grc, Διόσκουροι, Dióskouroi, sons of Zeus, links=no, from ''Dîos'' ('Z ...

stopped to water their horses while passing through the city, and where they announced Roman victory at the

Battle of Lake Regillus The Battle of Lake Regillus was a legendary Roman victory over the Latin League shortly after the establishment of the Roman Republic and as part of a wider Latin War. The Latins were led by an elderly Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, the seve ...

, 495 BC. During the Roman Empire, when another spring in the city had dried up, the

Vestal Virgin In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...

s used this spring to supply water for their religious ceremonies. The water at the ''Lacus Iuturnae'' was thought to have healing properties. The elderly and infirm would go to the spring with offerings in order to secure the assistance of Juturna in curing their malady. Shrine of Juturna

References

External links

James Grout: ''Lacus Juturnae''
part of the ''Encyclopædia Romana'' Ancient Roman religion Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Rome Roman Forum Rome R. X Campitelli Springs of Italy {{AncientRome-myth-stub