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.]] Juno ( Goddess , the rough equivalent of the Greek Hera , queen of the gods. An ancient and central deity in Roman Religion , Juno was the wife of the ruler of the gods, Jupiter , and the mother of Mars , one of the most important Roman deities. She was also a member of the Capitoline Triad along with Jupiter and Minerva . ETYMOLOGY AND ORIGIN
WORSHIP Every year, on the First Of March , women held a festival in honor of Juno called the Matronalia . Another festival in her honor, the Nonae Caprotinae ("The Nones of the Wild Fig") was held on July 7 . Many considered the month of June , which is named after Juno, the patroness of marriage, to be the most favorable time to marry. The Kalends of every month was also sacred to Juno, and she had festivals on July 1 and September 13 . Juno's own warlike aspect among the Romans is apparent in her attire. She often appeared armed and wearing a goatskin Cloak , which was the garment favored by Roman soldiers on campaign. This warlike aspect was assimilated from the Greek goddess Athena , whose goatskin was called the '' Aegis .'' EPITHETS Even more so than other major Roman deities, Juno held a large number of significant and diverse Epithet s, names and titles representing various aspects and roles of the goddess. In accordance with her central role as a goddess of marriage, these included ''Interduca'' ("she who leads the bride into marriage"), ''Domiduca'' ("she who leads the bride to her new home"), ''Cinxia'' ("she who looses the bride's girdle"). However, many other epithets of Juno are less thematically linked. Juno was very frequently called Juno Regina ("Juno the Queen"). This aspect was the one named in the Temple Of Jupiter as part of the Capitoline Triad , emphasizing that Juno's role as the wife of Jupiter and queen of the gods was the most important in that context. There was also a temple of Juno Regina on the Aventine Hill , and another in the Circus Flaminius . The festival of Juno Regina was on September 1.Scullard, H.H. (1981). ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'' (p. 183). London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0801414024. As Juno Moneta ("Juno who Warns"), she protected the finances of the Roman Empire . '' Lucina '' was an epithet for Juno as "she who brings children into the light", and ''Lucetia'' as "bringer of light" in general. She was also referenced as ''Pomana'' ("goddess of fruit"), ''Pronuba'' ("matron of honor") and ''Ossipagina'' ("bone setter" or "bone strengthener"). Some of these titles may have been invented as poetic descriptions, however, and may not have been actually used in the cult worship of Juno. IN LITERATURE Perhaps Juno's most prominent appearance in Roman Literature is as the primary antagonistic force in Virgil 's '' Aeneid '', where she is depicted as a cruel and savage goddess intent upon supporting first Dido and then Turnus and the Rutuli ans against Aeneas ' attempt to found a new Troy in Italy. There has been some speculation—such as by Maurus Servius Honoratus , an ancient commentator on the ''Aeneid''—that she is perhaps a conflation of Hera with the Carthaginian storm-goddess Tanit in some aspects of her portrayal here. REFERENCES |
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