Thursday

12.12.24

LC- To multiply 2 digit numbers with renaming.

Thursday 12th December 2024

LC: To understand the significance of Roman life in Britain: Roman beliefs.

What did the Roman believe in?

Roman Gods: For many hundreds of years, the Romans worshipped thousands of gods. Trees, rocks, streams, bridges, everything in ancient Rome had a guardian spirit or god watching over it. Each god had at least one job to do. Some gods had very important jobs like watching over the crops, or bringing the sun out each day. But all gods were important. The Romans prayed to their gods at least once every day. As Rome expanded and grew, the Romans came in contact with people who worshiped other gods. If those people had fought extremely well, the Romans figured that their gods must be pretty good, so the Romans adopted those gods and made them Roman gods as well. They gave those gods Roman names and changed some of the personalities of these gods to better fit the Roman way of life. It was the law that all people in the Roman world must worship Roman gods.

Who were some of these gods? Listen to the song and find out some of their names.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/articles/z7f3y9q

https://www.imagininghistory.co.uk/post/ks2-easy-guide-to-the-roman-gods

Jupiter

Who was he? he was the boss.

What was his role? Jupiter was the god of the sky and the protector of Rome. If the Romans wanted the city and the Empire of Rome to prosper, then it was to Jupiter that they had to pray and sacrifice the occasional animal.

Did he have an awesome weapon? He wields a lightning bolt. He also has control over Thunder.

Was a Roman festival devoted to Jupiter? Yes, every year, on September the 13th, the 'Jupiter Optimus Maximus' festival was held. In English, that means the 'best and greatest of all the Jupiter's' festival.

During the festival, a white ox would be sacrificed to Jupiter, as it was said that this was his favourite animal. One dead ox = one year of divine protection for Rome. Bargain.

Mars

Who was he? The God of war. If you want to conquer all your enemies then Mars is the god for the job.

What did he look like? Mars is often shown dressed head to toe in formidable armour and wielding a wicked sharp spear.

Was he important? Mars was second most important after Jupiter. When war was declared Romans would shake their spears and declare 'Mars vigalia!', which means 'Mars wake up'. They wanted to make sure that Mars was awake, dressed to impress, and ready to do battle.

Was a Roman festival devoted to Mars? Absolutely loads were! Festivals for Mars were held in the Spring and Autumn, so at the beginning and end of the military year. Roman's rarely wanted to fight in the Winter, it was far too cold! Festivals included horse races, chariot races, war dances, and - you guessed it - sacrificing loads of pigs, sheep, and cows.

Neptune

Who was he? Neptune, was the god of the sea. Originally he was only the god of freshwater but, around 399BC he was promoted to look after the seas and oceans as well.

What did he look like? Neptune, like many other gods, had a big bushy beard. So, that won't help you identify him. Instead, keep a look out for his weapon. Neptune was armed with a massive three-pronged trident.

Was he important? Whilst not as important as Jupiter and Mars to the Romans, it was still considered vital to worship Neptune if you wished to have a safe sea crossing. Forget to offer a prayer to Neptune and you'd be in major trouble, as Neptune was known for being very grumpy. According to the poet Ovid, on one occasion Neptune decided to punish all of the mortals. Neptune summoned a great flood and in the process drowned everyone and everything, leaving only one man and one woman still standing.

Juno

Who was she? Juno was the big boss of the Roman Goddesses. She also happens to be the wife of Jupiter. Juno had many different jobs and responsibilities. She was the roman goddess of marriage, childbirth, protection, youthfulness, energy and also plays a role as a protector of the Roman state. To do all that she must have got up very early in the morning!

What did she look like? Juno, as a protector, was always ready for battle. This warrior was often shown wielding dual weapons or holding aloft a spear. She also wore a goatskin coat as armour.

Was she important? Yes indeed! Several temples were devoted to Juno. One particular temple on the northern summit of the Capitoline Hill in Rome turned up in a story told by the philosopher Plutarch. This temple held Juno's sacred geese, who were so loud with their horrendous honking that they scared off an entire army of Gauls in 390BC. No wonder Juno was a goddess of protection!

Any festivals? Two big ones; the 'Matronolia' and the 'Nones of the Wild Fig'. That's not all though, Romans liked Juno so much that they named a month after her; June.

In your books, write down the name of the god or goddess and what their role was.

The first one is done for you.

Jupiter was the boss of the gods. He was the god of the sky and the protector of Rome.

Mars

Neptune

Juno

Now, answer the following questions.

1. What weapon did Jupiter have?

2. How is Mars usually dressed?

3. Why is Neptune important?

4. What animal did Romans believe Juno had at her temple?

primary picture news resource england 9th december a starring role.pdf