Roman365 Directory

Jupiter, (or Zeus to the Greeks) was the supreme ruler of gods and goddesses. When he was born he was rescued by his mother Ops from his father Saturn who had swallowed sisters: Ceres, Vesta, and Juno, who was also his wife, and his brothers: Pluto and Neptune.

Jupiter, also known as Jove, was king of the Gods, and the Patron of the Roman State. As an infant Jupiter's mother, Rhea, saved him from being swallowed by his father, Saturn, and concealed him on the island of Crete. Here Jupiter was nurtured by nymphs, and fed the milk of a goat.

Jupiter means Father Jove (Father in Latin is "pater"). There was a big temple in Rome dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus (which means Jupiter Best and Greatest). The Romans thought that Jupiter guarded their city and looked after them.

Jupiter was the Roman representative of the IE 'heavenly sky god'. He was the chief tutelary god of the state and the ultimate source its laws and the legitimate sovereign rights of Roman rulers. Through assimilation with Zeus and an earlier Etruscan god he also assumed the character of the IE thunder-god. Other renderings have him recorded as Iove, Jove, Iovis, or Jovis.