Quirinus
Deified form of Romulus, the founder of Rome, worshipped as the divine patron of the Roman citizen body
The Myth of Quirinus
Quirinus was one of the most mysterious and ancient Roman gods. In the earliest period, he formed part of an archaic triad with Jupiter and Mars, predating the later Capitoline Triad. He was eventually identified with Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome, who was said to have been carried to heaven in a storm and transformed into this god. His name may derive from the Sabine word for spear, or from Cures, the Sabine capital. The Quirinal Hill, one of Rome's seven hills, was named for him, and Roman citizens in their civilian capacity were called Quirites. His priest, the Flamen Quirinalis, was one of the three major flamines, reflecting his ancient importance.
Symbols
Fun Fact
Roman citizens in their civilian role were called Quirites after this god — soldiers became civilians by invoking his name
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
Jupiter
⚡ godKing of gods, sky, thunder
Supreme deity of the Roman pantheon, equivalent to the Greek Zeus, ruling over gods and mortals from the heavens
Liber
⚡ godWine, freedom, fertility, male vitality
Ancient Italian god of wine and freedom, later merged with Bacchus and the Greek Dionysus
Juno
⚡ godMarriage, childbirth, women, the state
Queen of the Roman gods and protector of women and the state, counterpart to the Greek Hera
Hades
⚡ godKing of the dead
The ruler of the Underworld who received the dead, guarded by Cerberus and feared so deeply that Greeks avoided speaking his name.
Mars
⚡ godWar, agriculture, guardianship
Roman god of war and agriculture, second in importance only to Jupiter, far more honoured than his Greek counterpart Ares
Agathos Daimon
⚡ godGood fortune, household protection
A benevolent spirit of good luck and prosperity venerated in domestic Greek religious practice
Eumolpus
🗡 heromystery, priesthood
The mythical founder of the Eleusinian priestly clan of the Eumolpidae, who served as hierophants of the Mysteries for over a thousand years.
Pluto
⚡ godUnderworld, death, riches
Roman god of the underworld and mineral wealth, derived from the Greek Plouton, a euphemistic title of Hades
Minerva
⚡ godWisdom, strategy, crafts, education
Roman goddess of wisdom, strategic warfare, and the arts, equated with the Greek Athena
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
Lelex
🗡 heroAutochthony, Civilization, Laconia
Earth-born first king of Lacedaemon and ancestor of the pre-Spartan Leleges people.
Theseus
🗡 heroFounder-hero of Athenian democracy
The hero who killed the Minotaur and later united Attica under Athens, becoming the mythological founder of Athenian democracy.