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The Romans believed in a lot of gods and made offerings to them for protection and blessing. But why so many gods? Find out below:

The Romans had many gods and goddesses – they almost had one for every occasion.

The Romans believed that each god was responsible for certain things. For example, Mars was seen as the god of war and Fortuna was the goddess of luck and fortune.

The principle gods that all Romans would worship were Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

• Jupiter was the main god who oversaw all aspects of life
• Juno was his wife who was responsible for all women
• Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, crafts, and the arts

Many of the Roman gods and goddesses are borrowed and adapted from the gods the ancient Greeks believed in.

Rome succeeded the Greeks as the dominant empire and, after taking control of their lands, the Romans adopted many of their customs and beliefs.

Jupiter, for example, was very similar to the Greek god Zeus.

Romans took their beliefs very seriously and so most Roman forts would have had temples or altars where offerings could be made to the gods

As men who would fight battles, Roman soldiers would have given frequent offerings to the god of war – Mars.

Mars was a very important god to the Romans. He was seen as the god who protected the city of Rome and he was also believed to be the personal guardian of the emperor.

Mars was so important to the Romans that, as well as all the feasts and shrines dedicated to him, the Romans named a month after him - what we now call March.

Another god who was very popular with Roman soldiers all over the empire was a god called Mithras.

The worship of Mithras began in the Middle East in what is now Iran.

Parts of the Middle East were controlled by the Roman Empire, and it is thought that Roman soldiers based there helped to make the god popular across the rest of the empire.

Followers of Mithras met in underground meeting places called Mithraeum. The followers would hold mystical rituals and enjoy elaborate feasts. Offerings would be made to Mithras to protect them from harm and to bring them blessings.

Ruins of these meeting places have been found in Scotland and at forts along Hadrian’s Wall. One such Scottish ruin can be found in the remains of the Roman fort at Inveresk in East Lothian, at the far eastern edge of the Antonine Wall.

• Jupiter - the main god of the Romans. He was very similar to the Ancient Greek god, Zeus.
• Mars - the Roman god of war. He was seen as the god who protected Rome.
• Mithras - a god worshipped by Roman soldiers. Mithras was a Middle Eastern god who became popular across the whole Roman Empire.
• Mithraeum - places where people met to worship Mithras.