Ancient Roman God Vulcan

Ancient Roman, however, like the ancient Greek gods, depicted in the human body, have always been remarkable for their exceptional beauty. Their face and hair shone, and shapes with perfect proportions literally fascinated. However, among them there was one special god, unlike everyone else, although he also had immense power and immortality. He was highly respected, in his honor were the temples. It was a god named Vulcan, whom the ancient Romans worshiped, but in Greek mythology he was called Hephaestus.

How mythology was born

As is known, most of the gods of the Roman pantheon correspond to similar Greek. Historians say that in this case there was a simple borrowing. The fact is that Greek mythology is much older than Roman mythology. The evidence in favor of this statement can be the fact that the Greeks created their colonies on the territory of modern Italy long before Rome became great. Therefore, people who lived on these lands began to gradually adopt the culture and beliefs of Ancient Greece, but interpret them in their own way, taking into account local conditions and simultaneously creating new traditions.

Systematization

It is believed that the so-called Council of the Gods was the most revered and significant in ancient Rome. The poet Quintus Ennius, who lived in the years 239-169 BC, was the first to systematize all the deities. It was from his submission that six women were introduced to the council and the same number of men. In addition, it is Quintus Ennius who determined for them the Greek equivalents corresponding to them. Subsequently, this list was confirmed by the Roman historian Titus Livi, who lived in the years 59-17 BC. In this list of celestials included the god Vulcan (photo), which in Greek mythology corresponded to Hephaestus. Almost all the legends concerning both one and the other were in many respects similar.

Cult

The volcano was the god of fire, the patron of jewelers and artisans, and also he was known as the most skillful blacksmith. Therefore it is not surprising that the son of Jupiter and Juno were often portrayed with a blacksmith hammer in his hands. He was given the nickname Mulziber, which meant "The smelter." All without exception, the temples of this deity, directly associated with fire, and hence with fires, were erected outside the city walls. However, in Rome, under the Capitol, at some elevation at the end of the Forum, Vulcanal was made - a sacred altar platform where meetings of the senate took place.

Every year on August 23, festivities were held in honor of the god Vulcan. As a rule, they were accompanied by noisy games and sacrifices. The introduction of the cult of this deity is attributed to Titus Thatsius. It is known that from the very beginning Volcan was sacrificed to human victims. Subsequently, they were replaced with live fish, which symbolized the elements hostile to the fire. In addition, in honor of this deity, after every victorious battle, all the weapons of the enemy were burned.

Representation of the Romans

Unlike other gods, the lord of fire and volcanoes had ugly facial features, a long and dense beard, and also very dark skin. The volcano, constantly busy with work in his workshop, was small, fat, with a shaggy chest and long, huge hands. In addition, he was very limp, because one leg was shorter than the other. However, despite this, he always inspired great respect.

Usually the Roman god Vulcan, as well as the Greek Hephaestus, was portrayed as a bearded and muscular man. Most often no clothes were on him, except for a chiton or a light apron, as well as a cap - a headdress worn by ancient artisans. On most drawings that have survived to this day, the Volcano is busy with work, standing near an anvil surrounded by his apprentices. His crooked leg recalls the sad events that happened to him in his childhood. Unlike the Roman deity, Hephaestus does not have a beard on some ancient Greek coins. Very often the ancient vases depicted a scene where the Volcano, with blacksmith's mites and a hammer, sits on a donkey, led by the bridle Bacchus with a bunch of grapes in his hand.

Ancient beliefs and legends

The Romans were sure that the forge of the god Vulcan is underground and even knew the exact location of it: one of the small islands located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the coast of Italy. There is a mountain on it, on top of which there is a deep dip. When the deity starts to work, smoke from the flame bursts out of it. Therefore, the island and the mountain itself was named the same - Vulcano. Interesting is the fact that sulfuric couples are really breaking out of the crater.

On the island of Vulcano there is a small mud lake. According to legend, it was dug by the Roman god Vulcan himself. As you know, he was ugly and also lame, but managed to marry the beautiful Venus. God daily plunged into this mud lake to rejuvenate. There is another legend, in which it is said that Vulcan made a device with which he could make thin and long strands of dough, considered to be a prototype of spaghetti.

Preserved rarities

Not far from the arch of Septimius Severus, at the Forum, you can still find the remains of Vulcanal. However, from the very temple, built in honor of the god Vulcan, once located on the Champ de Mars, there is no trace. But a good number of images of this celestial have been well preserved, both on amphorae and in figures made of metal. The largest antique statues Vulcan was most often erected by those who were lucky enough to be rescued from lightning, but such sculptures, unfortunately, remained very little.

Subsequently, many European artists have repeatedly returned to the image of the god Vulcan. Perhaps, the most significant canvases dedicated to this mistress are the paintings that are kept in the National Gallery in Prague. Artist Van Heemskerk wrote the "Workshop Volcano" in about 1536, and his work "Volcano" Daumier finished by 1835. In addition, the Prague Gallery exhibited and sculpture of Brown, made by him in 1715.

The theme of Roman mythology was addressed by such a famous Dutch painter as Van Dyck. His painting "Venus in the forge of Vulcan" was written in 1630-1632. It is believed that the reason for writing it was one of the chapters of the "Aeneid" of Virgil, where Venus asks Vulcan to make military equipment for his son Aeneas. At the moment, this picture is stored in the Louvre Museum in Paris.