Roman Myths

Romans believed in several gods. Their religion was based on these gods. The ancient Romans believed these gods controlled their lives. The warm and sunny weather was interpreted as good mood of the gods and vice versa. They were under the impression that thunder and lightening exhibited the wrath of gods. Roman myths were partially borrowed from the Greek mythology.

Beginning of Roman Myths

The pre-historic Romans did not have any myths of their own. It is believed that the Roman poets borrowed the myths of the Greek. However, the origins of many of the Roman myths are still unknown. Hellenistic models (Greek models) influenced the works of the classical Roman poets like Ovid and Vergil. These classical writers used the Greek beliefs and myths as fillers.

Though the Romans had a highly developed system of rituals, priests and priestly colleges. However, the ancient Roman literature have not mentioned much about the Roman gods of the pre-historic era. The early religion of the Romans was greatly influenced by the Greek mythology.

A Few Roman Myths

Many of the Roman myths were directly taken from the Greeks. A few of the famous Roman myths are given below.

• Camilla

Camilla was the beautiful daughter of Casmilla and Meribus. She was dedicated to Goddess Diana, the goddess of Hunt, by her father. It is believed, Camilla once ran so swiftly through the cornfields that a blade of grass was burnt to ashes. This gave her a divine power, which enabled her to walk across the seas without wetting her feet. According to the Roman myth, she was later crowned as the Virgin Queen of the Volscians. Volscians are the natives of ancient Italy who occupied the South East of Albany Hills. She died fighting the Trojans.

• Cupid and Psyche

This is one of the famous Roman myths. Psyche was a mortal princess known for her beauty and Cupid, the Roman God of Love. Cupid is the son of Venus. According to this Roman myth, Venus Goddess of Beauty and Fertility was jealous of the beautiful Psyche. She ordered Cupid to endorse some cruel punishment on Psyche. Cupid fell in love with the princess instead. He hid her from Venus in a beautiful faraway land. Psyche was not allowed to see the face of Cupid. One night out of curiosity, Psyche removed the blanket that covered Cupid’s face and looked at him. At that very moment, Cupid and their beautiful surroundings disappeared. The Venus punished Psyche. It is believed that some mysterious power helped Psyche overcome the ordeal and eventually she married Cupid.

• Charon and the River Styx

According to the Roman myths, the River Styx is the entrance to the Underworld or the Land of the Dead. Charon, the ferryman transported the souls of the dead to this world. Only the dead who received the proper burial ceremony were ferried to Land of Dead. The dead were bathed and a coin was placed under their tongue. This coin was the token to pay Charon to ferry the soul across the River Styx. The soul of the dead would remain on the shores of the River Styx for 100 years, in case coin was not found underneath the tongue. Romans see Charon as the symbol of death. The Roman painters portray him as an eerie old man.

There are many interesting and thought-provoking Roman myths. The Roman myths are related to the Roman gods and their ways. Roman gods played a vital role in the everyday lives of the ancient Romans.