Hello one and all!
Today I will discuss the Lares, guardian deities that played an important role in the lives of many pagan Roman families. They were so revered in fact that, despite official bans on non-Christian cults in the late Roman period, Lares cults continued to exist well into the 5th century CE.
Lares
The origin of the guardian deities could be traced back to the custom of the Romans burying their dead inside their houses, until this practice was outlawed by the laws of the Twelve Tables (450 BCE). The household Lares were seen to be the center of the home, and each family had them. They were the spirits of one's dead ancestors, and usually there were statuettes of them in a home. These deities were believed to make sure that the family prospered.
Each morning a prayer was sent to the deity and throughout the year offerings were also made. Sacrifices such as grapes, garlands, honey cakes and wine were made to the Lares. After the main meal was over, the scraps were placed in the hearth or on a special table for the Lares.
The Lares protected a family member that was sent away on military service. It also watched the daily lives of the family. On special days, like weddings or birthdays, more elaborate rituals were carried out. For example, when a Roman girl or boy came of age, they dedicated the bulla to the Lares, a small emblem of their childhood that they wore around their neck.
These deities were so interlinked with a family that when they moved to another house, the Lares came with them to their new abode. In artistic depictions they were represented as happy sprites, usually wearing a high-girded skirt with a pileus or garland crown.
Thank you for reading!
Today I will discuss the Lares, guardian deities that played an important role in the lives of many pagan Roman families. They were so revered in fact that, despite official bans on non-Christian cults in the late Roman period, Lares cults continued to exist well into the 5th century CE.
Lares
The origin of the guardian deities could be traced back to the custom of the Romans burying their dead inside their houses, until this practice was outlawed by the laws of the Twelve Tables (450 BCE). The household Lares were seen to be the center of the home, and each family had them. They were the spirits of one's dead ancestors, and usually there were statuettes of them in a home. These deities were believed to make sure that the family prospered.
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| Family of Roman Emperor Septimius Severus. |
Each morning a prayer was sent to the deity and throughout the year offerings were also made. Sacrifices such as grapes, garlands, honey cakes and wine were made to the Lares. After the main meal was over, the scraps were placed in the hearth or on a special table for the Lares.
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| A lararium, a shrine to the lares of a household. |
The Lares protected a family member that was sent away on military service. It also watched the daily lives of the family. On special days, like weddings or birthdays, more elaborate rituals were carried out. For example, when a Roman girl or boy came of age, they dedicated the bulla to the Lares, a small emblem of their childhood that they wore around their neck.
 |
| Lar statuette. |
These deities were so interlinked with a family that when they moved to another house, the Lares came with them to their new abode. In artistic depictions they were represented as happy sprites, usually wearing a high-girded skirt with a pileus or garland crown.
Thank you for reading!
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