Bellona Roman Goddess Of War  

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Bellona Roman Goddess Of War Image
BELLONA WAS THE ANCIENT ROMAN GODDESS OF WAR..."THE LADY OF WAR". SHE IS THE FEMALE COUNTERPART OF MARS. IN FACT, BELLONA HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS THE ORIGINAL ROMAN WAR DEITY, PREDATING MARS BY SEVERAL YEARS. HER FAITH AS DESCRIBED AS BLOODY AND ORGIASTIC. SOME RESEARCHERS SAY THAT SHE WAS THE SISTER OF MARS, HIS DAUGHTER, OR HIS WIFE. HOWEVER, IT IS KNOWN THAT JUPITER AND JUNO ARE THE PARENTS OF MARS, AND BELLONA IS THOUGHT TO BE THE DAUGHTER OF PHOREY AND CETO. THUS, IT MAKES IT MORE PROBABLE THAT SHE WAS HIS WIFE. SHE IS DEPICTED AS A WOMAN ARMED WITH A SWORD, SPEAR, AND TORCH. THE DEADLY POISONOUS HERB 'BELLADONA' IS ASSOCIATED WITH BELLONA. SHE DID NOT PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN EITHER MYTH OR LEGEND, AND HER WORSHIP APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN BASICALLY PROMOTED IN ROME.

BELLONA HAD HER OWN TEMPLE IN EARLY ROME. IT STOOD IN THE CAMPUS MARTUS NEAR THE ALTAR OF MARS...JUST OUTSIDE OF THE GATES OF THE CITY. HERE IS WHERE THE ROMAN SENATE MET TO RECEIVE THE FOREIGN AMBASSADORS. AND, IN FRONT OF THE TEMPLE STOOD A COLUMN WHICH SERVED FOR MAKING DECLARATIONS OF WAR. HERE WAS WHERE THE PRIESTS WHO SUPERVISED THE RELIGIOUS ASPECT OF ROMAN INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS PERFORMED THE CEREMONIES IN WHICH THEY OFFERED SACRIFICES TO HER. THEY HAD TO WOUND THEIR OWN ARMS OR LEGS...AND THEN THEY EITHER OFFERED UP THE BLOOD OR DRANK IT THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO BECOME INSPIRED WITH A WARLIKE ENTHUSIASM. (HER EARLIEST SACRIFICES WERE SAID TO BE HUMAN.)

THUS, THE MAIN OBJECT FOR WHICH BELLONA WAS WORSHIPPED WAS TO GRANT A WARLIKE SPIRIT AND ENTHUSIASM WHICH NO ENEMY COULD RESIST. SHE IS INVOKED FOR STRATEGY AND VICTORY. SHE WAS VERY WELL KNOWN AMONGST THE BATTLE SOLDIERS, AND SHE SERVED AS THE GREAT PROTECTRESS OF TERBUS AND HIS LEGIONS.

TODAY BELLONA STANDS GUARD OVER THE MILITARY AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS.

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This entry was posted on 16 February 2010 at Tuesday, February 16, 2010 . You can follow any responses to this entry through the .

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