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Juno ( Goddess , called Hera by the Greeks. She was queen of the gods. An ancient and central deity in Roman Religion , Juno was the sister, wife and mother of the ruler of the gods, Jupiter , and the mother of Hebe, Vulcan and 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, 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 '' Aigis .'' EPITHETS Even more 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 loses 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 were also temples of Juno Regina on the Aventine Hill , in the Circus Flaminius and in the area that became the Porticus Octaviae . On September 1 , the festival of Juno took place.Scullard, H.H. (1981). ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'' (p. 183). London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-8014-1402-4. Juno protected the finances of the Roman Empire as ''Juno Moneta'' ("Juno who Warns" or "Juno the alone"). '' 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 ''Pomona'' ("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 The Netherlands , in Maastricht , which was founded as ''Trajectum ad Mosam'' about 2000 years ago, the remains of the foundations of a substantial temple for Juno and Jupiter are to be found in the cellars of Hotel Derlon. Over part of the Roman remains the first Christian church of The Netherlands has been built in the 4th century A.D. IN LITERATURE
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