Overview: Enter through the gates of ancient Rome to meet the Roman Pantheon! Explore the deities, the beliefs, and the sacred landscape that birthed not just a city or a people but also an empire.

Verdict: Ancient Rome was known as the City of a Thousand Gods and was believed to be destined for greatness through the patronage and presence of those gods.

Pantheon: The Romans asks: Who were the deities and heroes that motivated and inspired the Roman people? What was the mythology that defined the Roman sense of belonging and identity? What was the religion that gave Roman life its structure and purpose? And how were the everyday lives of Romans molded by religious beliefs, practices, and rites of passage?

In what is an incredibly in depth, dutifully impassioned and wonderfully engrossing new book, the opening question of Who were the deities and heroes that motivated and inspired the Roman people? is one that is fully explored here, of course, but was also a question I asked myself back about two decades ago.

It turns out that Roman people were primarily motivated by a polytheistic pantheon centered on Jupiter (state protector), Juno (queen), and Minerva (wisdom), along with Mars (war/agriculture) and Venus (ancestral mother). Legendary figures like Aeneas (duty), Romulus and Remus (founders), and Lucretia (virtue) provided moral inspiration, embodying Roman ideals of courage, piety, and disciplined, state-focused life.

This rather wonderful addition to the Pantheon series continues onward in Part I deep diving into the history of Rome, and never skirting the hot topics, author Rachel S. Roberts brings forth the archeological aspects of the city, along with the literary and mythological aspects.

Indeed, the mythology that defined the Roman sense of belonging and identity was not a single story, but a rich, evolving tapestry of foundational legends — most notably the Aeneid (by Virgil) and the tale of Romulus and Remus — which emphasized divine lineage, martial prowess, and unwavering duty to the state (pietas). These myths allowed the Romans to view themselves as descendants of both gods and heroes, bridging their Italic origins with a prestigious, Trojan Greek heritage.

Part II explores Who were the Gods and Goddesses of Rome, The Capitoline Triad, and brings forth a few more Gods and Goddesses to be acknowledged. And as we have primarily explored these Roman gods and goddesses, for me the interesting section was The Capitoline Triad: which was a group of three deities who were worshipped in ancient Roman religion in an elaborate temple on Rome’s Capitoline Hill (Latin Capitolium). It comprised Jupiter, Juno and Minerva. The triad held a central place in the public religion of Rome, of course.

The last Part III focuses on Your Practice, which is your chance to collect this information now absorbed and decide how all this can influence your practices today; or not as the case may be. How can they be brought into your present-day life, worked with as-is, or wholly adapted for conformity reasons, and learning if these divinities can indeed be of importance in your life today.

About the Author - Rachel is a writer, sacred dance teacher and empowerment and flower essence coach. Rachel’s passion is to facilitate the awakening and empowerment through embodied mythology, movement magic and nature alchemy. She is the founder of Wolf Woman Rising Wisdom School and holds a bachelor’s degree and Post Graduate Qualifications in History, Heritage and Religion. She lives in Wales, UK.

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