Salvete Omnes,
Well for many of you know that Valentine’s Day is only a few days away. So this post will obviously be Valentine’s Day themed.
Antique Valentine’s card. Courtesy of Wikicommons.
If you are lucky enough to have a special someone in your life, I would recommend you check out some of the following posts:
- How to write a love letter in Latin
- Famous Quotes in Latin
- Add a Latin Love Quote to a Card
If you are spending Valentine’s Day on your own this year- fret not- I got some great posts for you!
- Lupercalia: The Ancient Roman Love Holiday before Valentine’s Day
- 5 Dating Tips from the Roman Poet Ovid
- Ovid’s Heroides: The Original Fan Fiction
However, I digress, this post will be focused on love deities. It is important to note the different areas of expertise, because depending on what followers were prayer or sacrificing for…they change the deity to whom they asked. Please note there are much more information on these deities, but they would be posts unto themselves! Comment if you wish to see a certain god or goddess spotlighted!
Venus on seashell, from the Casa di Venus, Pompeii. Before 79 AD.
God or Goddess: Venus
Area of Expertise: love, beauty, sex, fertility, prosperity and desire
Fragmentary base for an altar of Venus and Mars, showing cupids handling the weapons and chariot of the war god, from the reign of Trajan (98–117 AD)
God or Goddess: Cupid
Area of Expertise: desire, erotic love, attraction and affection
Pompeiian fresco of Suada (left) taking Eros to Venus and Anteros, circa 25 BCE, Naples National Museum.
God or Goddess: Suadela or Suada
Area of Expertise: persuasion, particularly in romance, seduction and love
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So, while I hope everyone has a great Valentine’s Day- I do hope this post (and maybe others) made it a bit more special! So remember if your love life is looking a bit in the dumps, you could always try turning your luck to the Roman pantheon.
Next week’s post: Ancient Denistry- just in time for after all that candy from Valentine’s Day!
