ANCIENT SIMILARITIES

Meet 10 of the Most Powerful Greek Gods and Their Roman Counterparts Meet 10 of the Most Powerful Greek Gods and their Roman Counterparts

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Greek and Roman mythologies have many points of contact. The reason why there are so many equivalences is due to a sociocultural phenomenon called syncretism . Syncretism, in the studies of religion and cultural anthropology, combines two different doctrines or schools of thought.

The Roman civilization was very open to external influences and usually embraced foreign ideas, concepts, and customs. By far, it was Greek culture that most influenced Rome. Therefore, each Greek god has a Roman counterpart with practically the same powers and responsibilities. The differences are mainly in the names, certain duties, and some of the events and myths in which they appear.

Can you guess the corresponding Greek and Roman names of the most influential gods in the Pantheon? Continue reading to find out!

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Zeus is the greatest of the gods of the Hellenic Pantheon. He is essentially the god of light and the serene sky, although he is not identified with Heaven. Zeus presides not only over the celestial manifestations, causes the rain, and throws thunderbolts and lightning, but also maintains order and justice in the world.

Jupiter is the Roman god assimilated to Zeus. With the development and consolidation of the political structure of Rome, Jupiter acquired an increasingly important status in Roman religion. He is the divinity of the sky, daylight, weather, lightning, and thunder. In Rome he reigns in the Capitol, specially consecrated to him. He appears as the supreme power, the "president" of the council of the gods, the one from whom all authority emanates. While Zeus constantly meddled in earthly affairs, fathering children with mortal women and getting involved in mortal wars, Jupiter preferred to deal with divine affairs.

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Poseidon, the god who reigns over the sea, is one of the Olympians, the son of Kronos and Rhea. Since the time of the Iliad, Poseidon has been assigned dominion over the sea. Not only does he have power over the waves, but he can also unbind storms, and unhinge the rocks of the coasts with a blow of his trumpet.

Neptune is the Roman god identified with Poseidon. His name, of obscure etymology, has a very ancient origin. God of the humid element, it does not possess, before its assimilation with Poseidon, a legend that is proper to him. The main difference between the two gods is that Neptune’s original realm was only freshwater bodies. Over time Neptune came to dominate oceans and took control of storms and other weather phenomena.

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Hera is the greatest of all the Olympian goddesses. She is the eldest daughter of Kronos and Rhea and, therefore, sister of Zeus, whom she later also marries. As the legitimate wife of the first among the gods, Hera is the protector of married women. She is depicted as a jealous, violent, and vengeful woman.

Juno is the Roman goddess related to Hera. In her origins and the Roman tradition, she personifies the lunar cycle. In a very general way, Juno was the protector of women , and more particularly of those who had a recognized legal status in the city, that is, women who were legitimately married. Although Juno was also Jupiter's wife, she was much less jealous and vindictive about her husband's affairs.

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In Greek mythology, Athena is a warrior goddess, armed with a spear and an aegis , a kind of goatskin breastplate. Athena is generally considered the goddess of Reason and presides over the arts and literature. Tall, with serene features, more majestic than beautiful, Athena is traditionally described as the "goddess with blue eyes".

Minerva's attributes are similar to those of the Greek Pallas Athena. Although she is not involved in any proper Roman legend, she is known to preside over all intellectual activity, mainly scholastic. Because the Romans assigned all war-related aspects to Mars, Minerva doesn’t have martial attributes like her Greek counterpart.

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Aphrodite is the goddess of love, identified in Rome with the ancient divinity Venus. There are two different myths about the birth of Aphrodite: either she is considered the daughter of Zeus and Dione, or the daughter of Uranus, whose sexual organs, cut off by Cronus, fell into the sea and gave birth to the goddess, the "woman born of the waves", or "born of the semen of the god".

Venus is a very ancient Roman goddess who, in her origins, seems to have been the protector of orchards. Before the foundation of Rome, she had a sanctuary near Ardea. Only since the first century B.C. was she likened to the Greek Aphrodite, whose persona and legends she took on. The main difference between the Roman and Greek goddesses is that Venus was also in charge of fertility, a role that the Greeks first associated with Demeter.

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Although certain traditions make Artemis the daughter of Demeter, she is usually considered the twin sister of Apollo. Artemis remained a virgin, eternally young, and is the prototype of the aristocratic goddess, who indulged only in hunting. Like her brother, she is armed with a bow, which she uses against the deer and also against humans. She is vengeful, and numerous were the victims of her anger.

Diana is the Roman goddess identified with Artemis. This connection seems to have been made very early, perhaps in the sixth century B.C. through the mediation of the Greek colonies in southern Italy. Although both goddesses were associated with hunting, the difference between them is that Diana also presided over witchcraft and femininity.

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Ares was the son of Zeus and Hera and belonged to the second generation of the Olympians. Since Homeric times, Ares appears as the god of war. He is the spirit of Battle, who rejoices in slaughter and blood. He is represented with a breastplate and helmet, and armed with a shield, spear, and sword. His stature is superhuman and he utters terrible screams. He usually fights on foot but is also seen on a chariot drawn by four steeds, accompanied by demons who serve as his squires.

Mars is the Roman god identified with the Hellenic Ares, although he is very ancient in the Latin religions and existed before the introduction of Ares. In classical times, Mars appears in Rome as the god of war. But he had other attributes, he is also the god of spring because the war season begins at the end of winter, and the god of youth because war is an activity proper to young people.

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In the race of the Titans, Cronus is the youngest of the children of Uranus (Heaven) and Gaea (Earth). Therefore, he belongs to the first divine generation, the one that preceded Zeus and the Olympians. Based on the word’s etymology, Cronus has sometimes been regarded as Time personified.

Saturn is a very ancient Roman god that is said to have come to Italy from Greece in very remote times when Jupiter (Zeus) dethroned him and precipitated him from the top of Olympus. He settled on the Capitol, on the site of the future Rome, and there he founded a fortified town which, in the tradition, bore the name of Saturnia. Saturn was represented armed with a sickle or a pruning shear. This is why his name was associated with the invention of vine cultivation and pruning.

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Hermes is the son of Zeus and Maya, the youngest of the Pleiades. Hermes came into the world on the fourth day of the month, and this day was consecrated to him. In legends, he mostly intervenes as a secondary figure, as an agent of divinity, protector of the heroes. Apart from this, Hermes was considered to be the god of commerce and also of theft. He guided travelers on the roads, watched over the shepherds, and was often represented carrying a lamb on his shoulders.

Mercury is identified with the Greek Hermes and as with most Roman divinities, he has no myth of his own. Like Hermes, he protects travelers and merchants —in his name we find, in fact, the root of the word merx , which means "merchandise."

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Eros, as its Roman counterpart Cupid, is the god of Love. His personality, though, has evolved greatly from the archaic era to the Alexandrian and Roman times. In the most ancient theogonies, Eros is considered a god born along with the Earth and who comes directly from the primitive Chaos. Eros was considered a "genius", an intermediary between gods and men.

Gradually, under the influence of the poets, Eros acquired his traditional physiognomy. He is later represented as a child, often winged, who amuses himself by bringing unrest to hearts. He either inflames them with his torch or wounds them with his arrows. For the Greeks, Eros was the god of love and passion in all its sense and scope. For the Romans, Cupid was the god of romantic love and desire.

SHINING FACTS

Ten Mind-Blowing Facts About Light That Will Illuminate Your Mind

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Without light, there would be nothing - or at least we wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. A form of electromagnetic radiation that we evolved to perceive through our eyes, light is as mysterious a phenomenon as it is universal.

Delve with us into these 10 intriguing facts about light that will enlighten your mind and spark your curiosity.

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Light constantly refuses to behave as we expect it to. Defying classification, it can exhibit characteristics of both particles and waves , a concept known as wave-particle duality. The famous double-slit experiment is one of the best demonstrations of this weird phenomenon, which seems to challenge our understanding of the fundamental nature of our reality.

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Light sails are devices that harness the power of photons from sunlight or directed lasers to propel spacecraft. These sails utilize the momentum generated by photons striking their reflective surfaces, providing a potential means for interstellar travel without the need for conventional fuel. Although the phenomenon was known for centuries - even Johannes Kepler suggested that it could be exploited to navigate the void of space - it was successfully demonstrated for the first time in 2010 by the IKAROS experimental spacecraft.

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Lasers, short for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation," are concentrated beams of coherent light with numerous practical applications. From cutting-edge technologies like laser surgery and laser printing to everyday devices like barcode scanners and DVD players, lasers have revolutionized various industries since their invention in the 60s.

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While the speed of light in a vacuum (about 186,282 miles per second) is considered a universal physical constant, it can still vary wildly when passing through different mediums. For instance, light slows down when passing through transparent substances such as water or glass, which is why objects underwater appear distorted.

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When light interacts with matter, it can be absorbed, causing the material to heat up . However, some materials can also emit some of this residual energy as light when excited by an external energy source. This phenomenon, known as fluorescence, is observed in all sorts of natural materials and even in some living organisms.

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Cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is the oldest light in the universe , dating back to just 380,000 years after the Big Bang. While you can't see the CMB with your naked eye, its faint glow permeates the cosmos and provides crucial insights into the early universe's structure and composition. To appreciate it, scientists have to tune into the microwave part of the electromagnetic spectrum.

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Light is extensively used in medicine , and for a wide range of applications. Phototherapy, the therapeutic use of light, has been employed for centuries to treat various medical conditions. From UV light for skin disorders to laser therapy for surgical procedures, light-based treatments are way more common than you would think.

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Optical trapping, or laser tweezers, is a technique that uses super-focused laser beams to trap and manipulate microscopic particles. This groundbreaking method has a myriad of applications in both physics and biological research, allowing scientists to study individual cells or molecules with unprecedented precision.

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Polarized light waves vibrate in a specific orientation, filtering out light waves oscillating in other directions. This property is harnessed in polarized sunglasses to reduce glare and improve visibility. Additionally, polarized light plays a vital role in technologies such as liquid crystal displays (LCDs), and can be even used for orientation in navigation. In fact, some researchers believe that Vikings made use of a polarizing device (a "sunstone") to find the location of the sun even in a completely overcast sky.

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Where would we be without optical fiber? Not on the Internet , most likely. These flexible strands of glass or plastic allow us to transmit light signals over long distances with minimal loss of signal quality, and they form the backbone of modern telecommunications networks, allowing for rapid and efficient communication across the globe. Also, optical fibers play a crucial role in medical imaging techniques like endoscopy, providing minimally invasive means of visualizing internal structures within the human body.