Pax
Roman goddess of peace and civic harmony, equivalent to the Greek Eirene
The Myth of Pax
Pax became one of the most politically significant deities under the Roman emperors. Augustus made peace the centrepiece of his propaganda after decades of civil war, and his Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace), completed in 9 BC, is one of the finest surviving works of Roman art, depicting a procession of the imperial family alongside mythological panels of abundance and tranquillity. Vespasian later built the magnificent Templum Pacis (Temple of Peace) after the Jewish War, using it to display treasures looted from Jerusalem. Pax was depicted holding an olive branch and a cornucopia, promising that peace brought prosperity. Roman coins frequently featured her image, often with the inscription PAX AVGVSTI — the Peace of the Emperor.
Parents
Jupiter and Justitia
Symbols
Fun Fact
The Ara Pacis of Augustus, now reconstructed in Rome, is one of the finest surviving examples of Roman political art
Words We Inherited
English words and phrases that trace back to this myth. See our full guide to English words from Greek mythology.
Explore Further
Eirene
⚡ godGoddess of peace
Eirene was the goddess of peace — one of the Horae, depicted holding the infant Ploutos (Wealth), showing that peace is the prerequisite for prosperity.
Concordia
⚡ godHarmony, agreement, civic unity
Roman goddess of agreement and social harmony, equivalent to the Greek Homonoia
Victoria
⚡ godVictory, triumph, success
Roman goddess of victory, equivalent to the Greek Nike
Juno
⚡ godMarriage, childbirth, women, the state
Queen of the Roman gods and protector of women and the state, counterpart to the Greek Hera
Fortuna
⚡ godLuck, fate, chance, fortune
Roman goddess of fortune and chance, equivalent to the Greek Tyche
Athena
⚡ godGoddess of wisdom, craft, and strategic warfare
Athena was the goddess of wisdom, strategic war, and craftsmanship — born fully armoured from Zeus's head, she was the most respected and feared Olympian after Zeus himself.
Athena
⚡ godGoddess of wisdom and strategic warfare
The warrior-goddess born from Zeus's head who embodied strategic intelligence, craft, and the civilising arts of the city.
Agathos Daimon
⚡ godGood fortune, household protection
A benevolent spirit of good luck and prosperity venerated in domestic Greek religious practice
Minerva
⚡ godWisdom, strategy, crafts, education
Roman goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and the arts, equated with the Greek Athena
Eunomia
⚡ godGoddess of good order and lawful governance
Eunomia was the goddess of good order, lawfulness, and civil governance — one of the Horae (Seasons) who embodied the conditions necessary for a just society.
Hera
⚡ godQueen of the gods and guardian of marriage
The queen of Olympus and goddess of marriage who defended the institution of matrimony with a wrath that shaped half the myths.
Venus
⚡ godLove, beauty, desire, fertility
Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, identified with the Greek Aphrodite but also revered as ancestress of the Roman people