On this day, June 3, Romans held a festival in honour of Bellona, goddess of war. Bellona was often considered the sister of Mars, driving her own chariot, weapons in hand. It is believed that she was originally worshipped as a personification of force.
On this day, June 4, Romans held a festival honouring Hercules Custos - Hercules the Great Custodian. Ovid mentions a temple at the west end of the Circus Flaminius, but it is yet to be identified. It remains a mystery just what Hercules was guarding, and against whom...
On this day, June 5, Romans honoured the god Dius Fidius (Divine Good Faith) with a festival. Dius Fidius was one of the deities that could be invoked by Romans swearing an oath, along with Castor, Pollux, Jupiter, Semo Sanctus and Hercules. di immortales!
On this day, June 8, Romans celebrated a festival of Mens Bona, a goddess who personifies the power of the human mind. Rather than an image of the goddess, here are N. G. Roman, M. Hamilton, M. Jemison and S. Ride, four women whose genius took us into space.
On this day - June 13 - Romans held a festival for Iuppiter Invictus, one of the god’s many aspects. Ovid offers but one line in his Fasti : Idibus Invicto sunt data templa Iovi : On the Ides temples were given to Jupiter the Undefeated. (utinam plus scirem : I wish I knew more).
On this day - June 19 - the Romans celebrated a festival in honour of Minerva. Here are a few facts about this wonderful goddess. Minerva est dea Romana. Minerva e Iovis capite arma gerens nata est. Minerva est dea sapientiae. Minerva multas artes homines docuit et nunc docet.
On this day - June 20 - the Romans held a festival for Summanus. The little known Summanus hurls lightning bolts by night, just as Jupiter hurls them by day. During the festival he was offered his favourite food - small cakes baked from flour, milk and honey - called summanalia.
On this day - June 27 - a festival in Rome honoured Juppiter Stator, or Jupiter the Stayer. This aspect of the god encourages all people to hold firm and stand their ground. Resist.