Greek and Roman gods: names and connections.
and Jupiter, and Juno, and Venus: Greek and Roman gods were often identified with one another. The familiar name pairs are useful reading aids, but they do not make Greek and Roman religion identical.
An identification, not a simple translation
Roman writers and worshippers brought Greek stories into their own traditions. A Roman god could have a local history, cult, and civic role that went beyond the Greek figure with whom that god was associated. , for example, should not be reduced to every story about Ares. Use the table as a guide to common correspondences, then read the source in its own setting.
Why the name can change within a myth
English translations of Roman poets may use Roman names, while a modern retelling uses the more familiar Greek ones. Knowing that commonly corresponds to Aphrodite and to Hermes helps connect those readings. This encyclopedia’s profiles center on Greek traditions and identify Roman authors when using them; source differences are part of the story.
Greek and Roman name pairs
| Greek name | Roman correspondence | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Gaia | Terra | Earth & creation |
| Uranus | Caelus | Sky & the heavens |
| Nyx | Nox | Night & mysteries |
| Cronus | Saturn | Titan kingship & succession |
| Rhea | Ops | Motherhood & divine succession |
| Helios | Sol | The sun & sight |
| Selene | Luna | The moon & its cycles |
| Leto | Latona | Motherhood & divine protection |
| Zeus | Jupiter | Sky, thunder & order |
| Hera | Juno | Marriage, queenship & family |
| Poseidon | Neptune | Sea, earthquakes & horses |
| Hades | Pluto | The underworld & the dead |
| Demeter | Ceres | Agriculture, grain & growth |
| Hestia | Vesta | Hearth, home & civic life |
| Athena | Minerva | Wisdom, strategy & craft |
| Apollo | Apollo | Music, prophecy & healing |
| Artemis | Diana | Hunt, wilderness & young life |
| Ares | Mars | War, courage & conflict |
| Aphrodite | Venus | Love, beauty & desire |
| Hephaestus | Vulcan | Fire, metalwork & invention |
| Hermes | Mercury | Travel, trade & cleverness |
| Dionysus | Bacchus | Wine, theater & transformation |
| Persephone | Proserpina | The underworld & returning growth |
| Hypnos | Somnus | Sleep & rest |
| Thanatos | Mors | Death personified |
| Eros | Cupid / Amor | Love & desire |
| Nike | Victoria | Victory |
| Eris | Discordia | Strife & discord |
| Tyche | Fortuna | Fortune & chance |
| Hebe | Juventas | Youth & divine service |
| Asclepius | Aesculapius | Healing & medicine |
| Eos | Aurora | Dawn |
| The Fates | Parcae | Fate & the allotment of mortal lives |
| The Furies | Furiae | Vengeance, kinship offenses & binding curses |
Sources and further reading
This is a modern guide. Read the ancient accounts and compare their traditions.