"Roman mythology is the body of myths of ancient Rome as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans."
This topic covers the myths and stories about the creation of the world and its inhabitants as perceived by the ancient Romans.
The Gods and Goddesses: The deities worshipped by the ancient Romans and their roles and attributes, such as Jupiter (god of the sky and thunder), Minerva (goddess of wisdom and warfare), and Venus (goddess of love and beauty).
The Titans and Giants: The primordial beings that preceded the gods and their conflicts with the Olympians, such as the battle between Jupiter and the Titan Cronus, and the war against the giants.
The Creation Story: The tale of how the world and humanity were formed, including the myth of Romulus and Remus, the founding of Rome, and the creation of man by Prometheus.
The Underworld: The realm of the dead and the gods that ruled over it, such as Pluto and Proserpina, and the myths associated with death and the afterlife.
The Heroic Legends: The stories of epic heroes and their adventures, such as Aeneas and his journey to found the city of Rome, and Hercules and his Twelve Labors.
The Fertility Myths: The myths and rituals associated with fertility and procreation, such as the worship of the goddess Venus and the rites of the Lupercalia festival.
The Moral Lessons: The moral values and ethics taught by the myths, such as the importance of piety, loyalty, and courage.
The Influence of Greek Mythology: The impact of Greek mythology on Roman mythology, including the adoption of Greek gods and renaming them with Latin names, and the merging of Greek and Roman myths.
The Role of Religion in Ancient Rome: The religious practices and beliefs of the ancient Romans, including sacrifice, divination, and the role of priests and priestesses.
The Legacy of Roman Mythology: The impact of Roman mythology on Western culture, including the influence on literature, art, and popular culture.
Cosmogony: A cosmogony is a creation myth that explains the origin and structure of the universe. In Roman mythology, the most famous cosmogony is the story of how the god Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology) created the universe.
Anthropogony: An anthropogony is a creation myth that explains the origin of humanity. In Roman mythology, the most famous anthropogony is the story of how the god Prometheus (Prometheus in Greek mythology) created mankind by shaping it out of clay.
Theogony: A theogony is a creation myth that explains the origin and genealogy of the gods. In Roman mythology, the most famous theogony is the story of how the god Saturn (Cronus in Greek mythology) overthrew his father Uranus (Ouranos in Greek mythology) to become the king of the gods.
Etiology: An etiology is a creation myth that explains the origins of natural phenomena, such as the sun, moon, stars, and seasons. In Roman mythology, the most famous etiology is the story of how the god Apollo (Apollo in Greek mythology) drove the sun across the sky each day.
Ex nihilo: A creation myth that explains that the universe was created from nothing by a divine act. In Roman mythology, there are no creation myths that explain the universe was created from nothing.
Chaoskampf: A creation myth that explains how the gods overcame chaos and established order. In Roman mythology, the most famous chaoskampf is the story of how the god Jupiter defeated the Titans and established order in the universe.
Earth diver: A creation myth that explains how the world was created by a diver who brought up earth from the bottom of the sea. In Roman mythology, there are no creation myths that follow the earth diver myth.
World egg: A creation myth that explains the universe was hatched from an egg. In Roman mythology, there is no creation myth that follows the world egg myth.
Emergence: A creation myth that describes the emergence of the world from a primordial place, such as the underworld or a hidden realm. In Roman mythology, there are no creation myths that follow the emergence myth.
Dualist: A creation myth that describes the origin of the world through a struggle between two opposite forces, such as good and evil. In Roman mythology, there are no creation myths that follow the dualist myth.
"Roman mythology may also refer to the modern study of these representations."
"Roman mythology draws from the mythology of the Italic peoples and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European mythology."
"Roman mythology also draws directly on Greek mythology."
"Potentially as early as Rome's protohistory, but primarily during the Hellenistic period of Greek influence and through the Roman conquest of Greece."
"The Romans identified their own gods with those of the ancient Greeks... and reinterpreted myths about Greek deities under the names of their Roman counterparts."
"Greek and Roman mythologies are therefore often classified together in the modern era as Greco-Roman mythology."
"Latin literature was widely known in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance."
"The interpretations of Greek myths by the Romans often had a greater influence on narrative and pictorial representations of 'Greco-Roman mythology' than Greek sources."
"The versions of Greek myths in Ovid's Metamorphoses, written during the reign of Augustus, came to be regarded as canonical."
[inferred from the paragraph, no specific quote]
"Roman mythology may... refer to the subject matter as represented in the literature and art of other cultures in any period."
"One of a wide variety of genres of Roman folklore."
"Roman authors... imitated Greek literary models."
"The Romans identified their own gods with those of the ancient Greeks... and reinterpreted myths about Greek deities under the names of their Roman counterparts."
"The Romans identified their own gods with those of the ancient Greeks—who were closely historically related in some cases, such as Zeus and Jupiter."
"Potentially as early as Rome's protohistory, but primarily during the Hellenistic period of Greek influence and through the Roman conquest of Greece."
"Greek and Roman mythologies are therefore often classified together in the modern era as Greco-Roman mythology."
"Latin literature was widely known in Europe throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance."
"The versions of Greek myths in Ovid's Metamorphoses, written during the reign of Augustus, came to be regarded as canonical."