ancient religions

Oblation

A religious offering or sacrifice.

Augur

A Roman religious official who interpreted signs from the gods.

Vestal Virgins

Roman priestesses who served the goddess Vesta and kept her sacred fire.

Pontifex Maximus

The highest-ranking priest in ancient Roman religion.

Haruspicy

The practice of examining animal organs to predict or understand the gods’ will.

Oracle

A person or place believed to provide messages or answers from a god.

Capitoline Triad

Three major Roman gods: Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva.

Jupiter

The chief Roman god, associated with the sky and thunder.

Juno

Roman goddess associated with marriage and women.

Neptune

Roman god of the sea.

Mars

Roman god of war.

Venus

Roman goddess of love and beauty.

Minerva

Roman goddess of wisdom, crafts, and war.

Diana

Roman goddess of hunting and the moon.

Ceres

Roman goddess of agriculture and grain.

Vesta

Roman goddess of the hearth and home.

Romulus

One of the legendary founders of Rome and twin brother of Remus.

Remus

Twin brother of Romulus and legendary founder of Rome.

Aeneas

A legendary Trojan hero believed to be an ancestor of the Romans.

Capitoline Hill

One of the seven hills of Rome and an important religious center.

Julius Caesar

Roman leader who was declared a god after his death.

Deified emperor

A Roman emperor who was officially treated as divine after death.

Isis

An Egyptian goddess whose worship spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Mithras

A god worshiped in a Roman mystery religion, especially among soldiers.

Edict of Milan

A 313 CE decree that allowed religious freedom for Christians in the Roman Empire.

Constantine the Great

Roman emperor who supported Christianity and helped establish religious tolerance.

Julian the Apostate

Roman emperor who tried to restore traditional Roman religion and reject Christianity.

Central America

A region between North and South America where civilizations such as the Maya and Aztec developed.

South America

A continent where civilizations such as the Inca developed.

Pre-Columbian

Refers to the Americas before European arrival and conquest.

Maize

Corn; an important crop and food source in ancient American civilizations.

Olmec

An early major civilization of ancient Mesoamerica.

Maya

A Mesoamerican civilization known for its cities, writing, mathematics, astronomy, and religion.

Teotihuacan

An ancient Mesoamerican city and civilization known for its large pyramids.

Aztec

A powerful Mesoamerican civilization centered around Tenochtitlan.

Quetzalcoatl

A Mesoamerican deity often associated with a feathered serpent.

Mictlantecuhtli

Aztec god associated with death and the underworld.

Inca

A major civilization that ruled much of the Andes in South America.

Inti

The Inca sun god.

Day of the Dead

A Mexican tradition honoring and remembering deceased loved ones.

Perkunas

A Baltic god associated with thunder and storms.

Eostre

A Germanic goddess associated with spring and renewal.

Fairy

A supernatural being found in European folklore and traditional stories.

Thor

A Norse god associated with thunder, storms, and strength.

New Age

A modern spiritual movement combining ideas and practices from different traditions.

Neopaganism

Modern religious movements that revive or recreate ancient pagan beliefs and practices.