Penates
The Penates ( Latin : Dii Penates ) were the patron gods of supplies in the Roman religion .
They belonged to the private patron gods of a household and were a peculiarity of the Roman religion. Together with other gods, they protect the family and their household. The penates were responsible for the stove and the pantry - they made sure that the precious embers didn't cool down, the rats didn't go to the food supplies at night , and they had to encourage the cook to cook something tasty. Their name is derived from the Latin word for " pantry " - penus - off. Since the penates were the souls of deceased ancestors, they were tied to their families and went with them when the family moved. Indeterminate in terms of gender and nature, they always appeared in twos or threes and shared their responsibility between stove, food and drinks. The hearth was their altar .
According to legend, Aeneas brought the Penates from Troy to Lazio , where the Roman officials made a sacrifice to them when they took office in Lavinium . In Rome there was a sanctuary (aedes) of the Penates on the Velia .
See also
- Lares , including the Lares Familiares (guardian spirit of the family), Lares Loci (guardian spirits of the place where the house is located)
- Manen ( Dii Manes , spirits of the deceased)
- Genius des Pater familias (family father)
literature
- Annie Dubourdieu: Les origines et le développement du culte des Pénates à Rome . Ecole française de Rome, Rome 1989, ISBN 2-7283-0162-X ( online - Collection de l'École française de Rome. 118).
- Jerzy Linderski: Penates (Di Penates). In: The New Pauly (DNP). Volume 9, Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-476-01479-7 .
