Dis PaterDis Pater (; Latin: [diːs patɛr]; genitive Ditis Patris, lit. the "Rich Patriarch"), otherwise known as Rex Infernus or Pluto, is a Roman god of the underworld. Dis was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth, and since those minerals came from underground, he was later equated with the chthonic deities Pluto (Hades) and Orcus.
Campus MartiusThe Campus Martius (Latin for 'Field of Mars'; Italian: Campo Marzio) was a publicly owned area of ancient Rome about 2 square kilometres (490 acres) in extent. In the Middle Ages, it was the most populous area of Rome. The IV rione of Rome, Campo Marzio, which covers a smaller section of the original area, bears the same name.
ProserpinaProserpina ( ; Latin:) or Proserpine ( ) is an ancient Roman goddess whose iconography, functions and myths are virtually identical to those of the Greek Persephone. Proserpina replaced or was combined with the ancient Roman fertility goddess Libera, whose principal cult was housed in a temple atop Rome's Aventine Hill, which she shared with the grain-goddess Ceres and the wine god Liber (Liber Pater).
Religion in ancient RomeReligion in ancient Rome was polytheistic, consisted of varying imperial and provincial religious practices, which were followed both by the Roman people as well as those who were brought under its rule. The Romans thought of themselves as highly religious, and attributed their success as a world power to their collective piety (pietas) in maintaining good relations with the gods. Their polytheistic religion is known for having honoured many deities.
Roman mythologyRoman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans, and is a form of Roman folklore. "Roman mythology" may also refer to the modern study of these representations, and to the subject matter as represented in the literature and art of other cultures in any period. Roman mythology draws from the mythology of the Italic peoples and shares mythemes with Proto-Indo-European mythology.
Roman RepublicPeriod of Roman history (c. 509 – 27 BC)
Theatre of ancient RomeThe theatre of ancient Rome refers to the theatrical practice and performance of Rome. The origins of the tradition have been linked to the 4th century BC. Theatre of this era is generally separated into genres of tragedy and comedy, which are represented by a particular style of architecture and stage play, and conveyed to an audience purely as a form of entertainment and control.
LudiLudi (Latin for "games"; plural of ludus) were public games held for the benefit and entertainment of the Roman people (populus Romanus). Ludi were held in conjunction with, or sometimes as the major feature of, Roman religiousfestivals, and were also presented as part of the cult of state. The earliest ludi were horse races in the circus (ludi circenses).
RomeCapital and largest city of ItalyCapital city and comune in ItalyRome is the capital and largest city of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazioregion and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A specia municipality named Roma Capitale with a population of 2.7 million in an area of 1,287.36 km (497.1 mi), Rome is the third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits.
Founding of RomeArchaeological evidence indicates that Rome developed from the gradual union of several hilltop villages during the Final Bronze Age or early Iron Age. Prehistoric habitation of the Italian Peninsula occurred by 48,000 years ago, with the area of Rome being settled by around 1600 BC. Some evidence on the Capitoline Hill possibly dates as early as c. 1700 BC and the nearby valley that later housed the Roman Forum had a developed necropolis by at least 1000BC.
Ancient RomeIn modern historiography, ancient Rome is the Roman civilisation from the founding of the Italian city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC), the Roman Republic (509–27 BC), and the Roman Empire (27 BC – 476 AD) until the fall of the western empire.
SacrificeMarcus Aurelius and members of the Imperial family offer sacrifice in gratitude for success against Germanic tribes: contemporary bas-relief, Capitoline Museum, Rome.Sacrifice is an act or offering made to a deity. A sacrifice can serve as propitiation, or a sacrifice can be an offering of praise and thanksgiving. Evidence of ritual animal sacrifice has been seen at least since ancient Hebrews and Greeks, and possibly existed before that.
SaeculumA saeculum (plural saecula) is a length of time roughly equal to the potential lifetime of a person or, equivalently, the complete renewal of a human population. BackgroundOriginally it meant the time from the moment that something happened (for example the founding of a city) until the point in time that all people who had lived at the first moment had died. At that point a new saeculum would start.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.