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List of Roman birth and childhood deities

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

An ancient Roman sculpture showing a mother caring for her baby, with the father nearby, from the Louvre Museum.

In ancient Roman religion, people believed that special gods and goddesses watched over every part of conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and child development. These were called birth and childhood deities. Some well-known gods had specific jobs to help during these important moments, while others were only called by name when families needed help with something special.

Relief from a child's sarcophagus depicting a nursing mother with the father looking on (c. 150 AD)

Life for mothers and babies was very hard in ancient times. Many mothers and babies did not survive childbirth, and up to 30 or 40 percent of babies did not live past their first year. Because of this, families had many special traditions and rituals to protect and celebrate new life. Even famous people, like Julia, the daughter of Julius Caesar, faced these dangers.

Children who lived past the age of 10 were honored with big funeral ceremonies when they passed away. But babies who died before their first birthday did not have these same formal rites. This was because of the laws of the time, not because families did not love their lost children. The Romans valued family and tradition very much, and they saw boys and girls as important parts of their world.

Images

An ancient Roman sculpture showing Emperor Marcus Aurelius and his family offering a sacrifice, from the Arch of Marcus Aurelius in Rome.
A detailed Roman sarcophagus showing the mythological birth of the god Dionysus, surrounded by attendants and celebratory figures, made for educational purposes.
Ancient Roman carving showing a midwife helping a mother, highlighting the history of medical care.
An ancient clay sculpture of a swaddled baby from Roman times, displayed in the Musée Saint-Remi in Reims.
A historical sculpture of a mother goddess from ancient Roman times, showcasing traditional art and mythology.
Ancient Roman artwork showing a mother and child, found in Ostia, dating back to 50 A.D.
Ancient Roman sculpture of a child's head from the Antonine period, on display at the Louvre Museum.
A 1st century AD bronze statue of a young boy wrapped in his cloak, displayed at the Louvre Museum.

Related articles

Religion in ancient Rome
Fertilisation
Pregnancy
Julius Caesar

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on List of Roman birth and childhood deities, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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