Nomen mihi est: ______________________________________________________

Worksheet: 20 points total (15 pts for questions, 5 for illustration)

Roman Mythology: Part 1

Intro
As we have seen, the Romans borrowed stories about the gods and
goddesses from the Greeks. Therefore, most Roman myths are adapted
stories. However, there are some gods and goddesses and some stories
which are uniquely Roman. This means that the Romans did not borrow
these figures and stories from the Greeks, but formulated them
themselves.

A Truly Roman God

The first uniquely Roman god we shall discuss is named Janus. Janus was
the god of doorways. He is depicted as having two faces, one looking
forward, one looking backward.

 Why is that an appropriate image for the god of doorways?

Our month January is named in honor of this god.

 Why is he an appropriate god after whom to name this month?

A Truly Roman Story

The first uniquely Roman story we shall discuss is the story of Romulus
and Remus. This story is a traditional Roman myth, and it was written
down by a man named Livy in the 1st century BCE. Livy wrote a book
called Ab Urbe Condita, which means From the Founding of the City. This
book tells the entire history of Rome. You will be reading Livy’s
version of the Romulus and Remus story. As you read this story, answer
the following questions:

 What is the relationship between Romulus and Remus?

 Who is their mother? Their father?

 What happens to them when they are born? At whose command? Why
did this person command it?
  Who/what rescued Romulus and Remus?

 Who is their foster father? Foster mother?

 What do they do when they grow up?

 How do they decide which one gets to be king of the new city?

 Who does get to be king?

 What happens to the one who does not get to be king?

When you have finished reading the story and answering the questions,
pick your favorite scene from the story and illustrate it. You may do a
simple drawing, a cartoon/comic strip, or any other creative expression
you think of.

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