Trivia
Roman goddess of crossroads and sorcery, equivalent to the Greek Hecate
The Myth of Trivia
Trivia takes her name from trivium, "a place where three roads meet," and she ruled the uncanny spaces where paths crossed. Like her Greek counterpart Hecate, she was a goddess of magic, night, and the boundary between the living and the dead. Small shrines were placed at crossroads throughout the Roman countryside, and offerings of food were left at these spots on the last day of each month. Trivia was feared more than loved — she was associated with ghosts, witchcraft, and the restless dead. Roman literary witches like Canidia and Erictho invoked her in their spells. Horace and Virgil both portray her as a sinister presence haunting the night, accompanied by howling dogs and flickering torchlight.
Parents
None recorded
Symbols
Fun Fact
The word "trivia" comes from this goddess of crossroads — trivial matters were gossip exchanged where three roads met
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
Hecate
⚡ godGoddess of crossroads, magic, and the moon
A powerful Titan goddess associated with crossroads, doorways, magic, witchcraft, and the night. Hecate was one of the few Titans honored by Zeus after the Titanomachy.
Hecate Trivia
⚡ godcrossroads, magic
An epithet of Hecate as goddess of crossroads and three-way intersections, where offerings were left at night to appease her and the restless dead.
Hecate
⚡ godGoddess of crossroads, magic, and the liminal
The triple-formed goddess of crossroads, sorcery, and the boundaries between worlds — honoured by Zeus above all other deities.
Melinoe
⚡ godUnderworld
A chthonic goddess of ghosts and nightmares who drove mortals to madness with spectral visions
Empousa
🐉 creaturedemons
A shape-shifting demoness with one bronze leg and one donkey leg who preyed on travellers
Diana
⚡ godHunt, moon, wilderness, crossroads
Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, and wild places, identified with the Greek Artemis
Proserpina
⚡ godSpring, underworld, renewal
Roman queen of the underworld and goddess of spring growth, equivalent to the Greek Persephone
Empusa
🐉 creatureShape-shifting demoness
Empusa was a shape-shifting female demon in the retinue of Hecate, said to seduce and feed upon travellers by appearing as a beautiful woman.
Persephone
⚡ godQueen of the Underworld
The daughter of Demeter who became queen of the dead — the goddess who bridges the living world and the realm of the departed.
Luna
⚡ godMoon, night, cycles
Roman goddess of the moon, equivalent to the Greek Selene
Selene
⚡ godTitaness of the moon
The Titaness who personified the moon, driving her silver chariot across the night sky. She fell in love with the mortal Endymion and visited him nightly as he slept.
Selene
⚡ godTitaness of the moon
Selene was the Titaness who drove the silver chariot of the moon across the night sky — she loved the mortal Endymion and visited him each night as he slept eternally.