How Did Athena Influence Roman Civilization

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The Roman civilization, strongly influenced by ancient Greeks, adopted several aspects of Greek religion and mythology, combining them with their beliefs and creating a unique religious system. This cross-cultural exchange developed in the adaptation of various Greek gods into the Roman pantheon, while they were frequently altered to associate with Roman values and lifestyles. The Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, was associated with Venus in Roman mythology. Like Venus, she conserved her role as the goddess of love, fertility, and beauty, while also being linked with prosperity and victory (Britannica, 2023). Ares, the Greek god of war and conflict, found his Roman counterpart on Mars. As Mars, he maintained his association with …show more content…

As Jupiter, he kept his role as the chief deity and was linked with the sky, weather phenomena, and the protection of the Roman state (Graf, 2009). Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, was embraced into the Roman religion as Minerva. While both distributed similar qualities, Minerva was also distinguished as the goddess of arts and craftsmanship, indicating Roman values of intellect and skill (Southern Libguides, 2023). Hera, the queen of the Greek gods and goddess of marriage and childbirth, was recognized with Juno in Roman mythology. Juno revealed similar aspects of marital and familial harmony while also being reflected as the guardian of women (Southern Libguides, 2023). Roman Religion: Distinct Evolution from Greek Religion The Roman religion was not an accurate copy of the Greek religion. Because I thought it evolved into a distinct system tailored to meet Roman life and values. While they shared several deities and myths, the Romans had a different approach to religion and embedded foreign beliefs into their enduring traditions. One example of this distinct evolution can be observed in the identification of Greek gods with Roman equivalents. Zeus suited Jupiter, but Jupiter had aspects associated with the protection of the Roman state and its people (Grant,