# origin of Roman names for Greek god?s **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 10, 2010, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885 "2010-05-10T06:03:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 10, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/21 "2010-05-10T17:40:41Z")
> [@](#): > > Poseidon, for example, was not specifically god of the sea to the earlier Greeks. He was connected with horses and with water – the ‘element’, not specifically water bodies. The founding of Athens and his mythical competition with Athena for its patronage illustrates this – he gave the Athenians horses and a spring in an effort to win their allegiance. It was only with his becoming equated with Neptune that he took on lordship of the sea as his particular focus. Funny, I had heard just the reverse, that the Romans prior to Greek influence didn’t have a sea-god (or at least, didn’t pay much heed to the notion; if they’d thought about it they would have acknowledged the existence of a hypothetical sea-god), and that Neptune was a general-purpose water-god who ended up as a sea-god by analogy with Poseidon. ---
**Author:** ![Grendel\_s\_Father](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grendel\_s\_Father](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grendel_s_Father)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/22 "2010-05-11T02:08:57Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > That’s the point. The Romans didn’t change the names of the gods. They already had a pantheon of gods that were similar to the Greek gods. They didn’t adopt the Greek gods, they decided that the Greek gods were actually the same as their gods, only with different names. This wasn’t limited to the Greek pantheon either. When the Romans encountered Celtic deities they never used the native names for them. Instead they figured out which Roman gods they were most like and called them that. From Wikipedia: > [@](#): > > The classic entry about the Celtic gods of Gaul is the section in Julius Caesar’s Commentarii de bello Gallico (52–51 BC; The Gallic War). In this he names the five principal gods worshipped in Gaul (according to the practice of his time, he gives the names of the closest equivalent Roman gods) and describes their roles. … Mercury was seen as the originator of all the arts (and is often taken to refer to Lugus for this reason)… Next the Gauls revered Apollo, Mars, Jupiter, and Minerva. … In addition to these five, he mentions that the Gauls traced their ancestry to Dis Pater. > **[Celtic mythology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_mythology)** > > Celtic mythology is the body of myths belonging to the Celtic peoples. Like other Iron Age Europeans, Celtic peoples followed a polytheistic religion, having many gods and goddesses. The mythologies of continental Celtic peoples, such as the Gauls and Celtiberians, did not survive their conquest by the Roman Empire, the loss of their Celtic languages and their subsequent conversion to Christianity. Only remnants are found in Greco-Roman sources and archaeology. Most surviving Celtic mytholo... ---
**Author:** ![curwin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@curwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curwin)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2010, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/23 "2010-05-11T05:14:22Z")
Thanks everyone - here’s what I wrote: > **[tuval kayin and volcano](https://www.balashon.com/2010/05/tuval-kayin-and-volcano.html)** > > A blog about the origin of Hebrew words and phrases and how they relate to English and other languages. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/24 "2012-02-07T05:45:49Z")
(No Zombie jokes please). The above is all good. But the Romans also worshipped Isis, who was certainly not Greek. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/25 "2012-02-07T06:02:18Z")
I don’t think Isis was ever part of the traditional Roman pantheon, was she? Sure she was worshiped in the Roman Empire, and no doubt by some actual Roman citizens, but so were lots and lots of other gods, even that guy … whats his name? … Yeah Jesus, thats it. He had quite a following amongst Romans, and one of his earliest, most influential followers was a Citizen. That does not mean anyone ever thought Jesus (or Mithras, or whoever) ran in the same circles as Jupiter and Neptune and Vulcan. I do not think Isis did either (unless you have a cite to the contrary). If you worshiped Jesus, or Mithras/Ahura Mazda, or Isis and other Egyptian gods and goddesses, you probably did not take Jupiter etc. very seriously any more. It is a quite different (and later) sort of thing to the merger that occurred between the Roman and Greek pantheons. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/26 "2012-02-07T06:28:39Z")
> [@curwin](#): > > I’m investigating the origin of the word “Vulcan”. There are those that claim that it might derive from the biblical Tubal Cain (Genesis 4:22). I note that, according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tubal-cain), the “those” in question are [Henry M. Morris](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_M._Morris), young Earth creationist and “the father of modern creation science” (and his followers, presumably). This is not a source to which I myself would give any credence. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/27 "2012-02-07T08:43:43Z")
Bear in mind, the Romans had a very pragmatic approach to religion - they cared less about abstract philosophical and theological issues, and more about what the gods could do for _them_. If they heard that the gods of a people they conquered gave people blessings in return for offerings, then why not slaughter a couple of bulls for them? They adopted foreign gods the way a corporation acquires another company’s contact list. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/28 "2012-02-07T09:02:34Z")
> [@curwin](#): > > Thanks everyone - here’s what I wrote: > > [Balashon - Hebrew Language Detective: tuval kayin and volcano](http://www.balashon.com/2010/05/tuval-kayin-and-volcano.html) I really enjoyed that article. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/29 "2012-02-07T09:31:51Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I don’t think Isis was ever part of the traditional Roman pantheon, was she? Sure she was worshiped in the Roman Empire, and no doubt by some actual Roman citizens, but so were lots and lots of other gods, even that guy … whats his name? … Yeah Jesus, thats it. He had quite a following amongst Romans, and one of his earliest, most influential followers was a Citizen. That does not mean anyone ever thought Jesus (or Mithras, or whoever) ran in the same circles as Jupiter and Neptune and Vulcan. I do not think Isis did either (unless you have a cite to the contrary). If you worshiped Jesus, or Mithras/Ahura Mazda, or Isis and other Egyptian gods and goddesses, you probably did not take Jupiter etc. very seriously any more. It is a quite different (and later) sort of thing to the merger that occurred between the Roman and Greek pantheons. Well there was a [Temple of Isis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Isis_(Pompeii)) in Pomepii and worship of Isis was pretty mainstream, far more than it being a fringe cult at the frontiers of the Empire. I suppose it might have been a result of Alexandria being one of the main cities of the Empire. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/30 "2012-02-07T13:20:41Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Well there was a [Temple of Isis](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_of_Isis_(Pompeii)) in Pomepii and worship of Isis was pretty mainstream, far more than it being a fringe cult at the frontiers of the Empire. > > I suppose it might have been a result of Alexandria being one of the main cities of the Empire. Certainly there was a lot of mixing and foreign importation – there’s a Pompeiian wall fresco depicting The Judgement of Solomon, for instance. But that doesn’t mean that the people of Pompeii were Jewish, or that Isis was a traditional Roman goddess. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/31 "2012-02-07T13:46:30Z")
^ I never said that it was was, only saying that it seems to have been much more mainstream, with prominent and influential persons following it, to be simply classifed as another exotic oddity. In the US today, you have muslims, Shinitos, Hindus and even the odd traditional religion worshippers, that does not make any of the aforementioned religions a mainstream religion in the US. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/32 "2012-02-07T14:29:17Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > (No Zombie jokes please). The above is all good. But the Romans also worshipped Isis, who was certainly not Greek. Well, if you want to get technical like that, they also worshiped Yahweh at some point. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/33 "2012-02-07T14:31:28Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > ^ > I never said that it was was, only saying that it seems to have been much more mainstream, with prominent and influential persons following it, to be simply classifed as another exotic oddity. > > **In the US today, you have muslims, Shinitos, Hindus and even the odd traditional religion worshippers, that does not make any of the aforementioned religions a mainstream religion in the US.** Precisely the point I was making. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/34 "2012-02-07T14:33:06Z")
There was worship if Isis (and a bunch of other Eastern gods and goddesses: Cybele, Mithras, etc) in Rome, but those were all later imports. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@The\_Man\_In\_Black](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_In_Black)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/35 "2012-02-07T17:04:46Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Imagine it like this. Suppose the Greeks had stories about Superman, while the Romans had stories about Captain Marvel (ie, Shazam). When the Romans talked to the Greeks they decided that Superman was just a version of Captain Marvel. But over time, the Romans found that Superman stories were just a lot better than Captain Marvel mythology, and pretty soon they retcon everything so that Captain Marvel becomes more and more like Superman, and after a few hundred years they’re essentially identical, even Captain Marvel’s costume changes to Superman’s costume, the only thing that remains is the name “Captain Marvel”. Thread win! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/36 "2012-02-07T21:17:02Z")
> [@](#): > > If you worshiped Jesus, or Mithras/Ahura Mazda, or Isis and other Egyptian gods and goddesses, you probably did not take Jupiter etc. very seriously any more. It is a quite different (and later) sort of thing to the merger that occurred between the Roman and Greek pantheons. It’s my understanding that, by the time of the mystery cults, _nobody_ took Jupiter et al very seriously. You had the religious folks who worshiped Mithras or Ahura Mazda or Jesus or whomever, and then you had a bunch of folks who just weren’t particularly religious at all. Ovid, for instance, certainly didn’t think much more of the old myths than that they were good stories. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/37 "2012-02-08T01:27:08Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Ovid, for instance, certainly didn’t think much more of the old myths than that they were good stories. Maybe Dawkins should add Ovid to his [list](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=14726632&postcount=3) (Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama…) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2012, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885/38 "2012-02-08T01:39:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s my understanding that, by the time of the mystery cults, _nobody_ took Jupiter et al very seriously. You had the religious folks who worshiped Mithras or Ahura Mazda or Jesus or whomever, and then you had a bunch of folks who just weren’t particularly religious at all. Ovid, for instance, certainly didn’t think much more of the old myths than that they were good stories. It’s not so much a question of not taking the traditional gods seriously. It’s more that the traditional gods weren’t the kind of gods you had relationships with. They were the gods of the State and proper worship of them was necessary to keep the State functioning, but they didn’t really care about you as a person. It was strictly a contractual type of deal, and that was unsatisfying to a lot of people. So when these mystery cults come along and promise personal relationships, personal inspiration, and so on with the gods, that’s inspiring to people. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-roman-names-for-greek-god-s/538885.md?page=1)