Jupiter Coin Pendant

In Roman Religion and Mythology, Jupiter was the supreme god, also called Jove. He was originally a sky deity, associated with rain and agriculture, but evolved into the great father god, prime protector of the state, and concerned with all aspects of life. He was the son of Saturn and Ops, and brother/husband of Juno.

Jupiter’s temple on the capitol was the center of political life in Rome. Here official offerings were made, treaties were signed and wars declared, and triumphant generals came to give thanks. Among the most popular gods in Greece were those associated with the woodlands, agriculture and herds.

One such god was Pan, a woodlands deity with special domain over flocks, herdsmen and hunters. Pan also had a penchant for lustful pleasures, such as drinking wine, pursuing nymphs for woodland pleasures, and playing his syrinx (‘Pan flute’). Pan – with his half-human and half-goat physique – was a frightful looking creature which embodied the untamed spirit of nature. Indeed it is from Pan’s name that the modern English word ‘panic’ is derived.