gods+and+goddesses+ajf

= Gods and Godesses = The earliest Romans worshiped powerful spirits or divine forces called //numina,// that they resided in everything around them. Related to those spirits were the Lares, who were the gaurdian spirits of each family. They gave names to these powerful gods and honored them to various rituals, hoping to gain favor and avoid misfortune.

In Rome, government and religion were linked. The deities were symbols of the state. Romans were expected to honor them not only in private rituals at shrines in their homes but also in public worshiping ceremonies conducted by priests in temples.