The culture and religion of the Roman Empire were based on the belief that virtually every object or natural force possessed a divine spirit. Roman religion was both polytheistic—involving many gods—and animistic in that it assigned supernatural qualities to natural elements and living creatures. Gods and goddesses oversaw nearly every aspect of life. While some gods had a very broad influence—like Mars, the god of war—some had a smaller range. Romans made sacrifices to household gods and ancestral spirits that they believed looked after a specific family or place.

As the Roman world grew, it often adopted the gods of conquered peoples. The Romans imported most of the Greek pantheon and assigned them Latin names. Zeus, king of the gods, became Jupiter; his wife, Hera, became Juno; Aphrodite, the goddess of love, was renamed Venus. Hermes the messenger god became Mercury. Eros, Aphrodite’s son, became Cupid. A few Greek gods retained their name and function in Roman usage, including Pan, the god of wild spaces. In the Roman imagination, gods often behaved like humans, experiencing jealousy and anger as well as desire. They were free to move about the world, mingling with humans and interceding—or interfering—where they wished.