PENATES, amongst the ancient Romans, were gods corresponding to the Pitri of the Hindus A knowledge of their gods is useful in explainin the Hindu deities. Amongst the Romans the gods were arranged into DE majorumentimn and Dii 'ininorum pentium. The Dii majorurr gentium were the great celestial deities, and those called Dii selecti. The great celestial deities were twelve in number,—Jupiter, Juno, Minerva, Vesta, Ceres, Neptune, Venus, Vulcanus, Mars, Mercurins, Apollo, and Diana.
The Dii selecti were eight,—Saturnus, Janus, Rhea, Pluto, Bacchus, Sol, Luna, and Genius, the daemon or tutelary god, who was supposed to take care of every one from his birth, during the whole of life.
- Nearly allied to the genii were the Lares and Penates, household gods, who presided over families.
The Lares of the Romans appear to have bee$ the manes of their ancestors; and there were Lares domestiei et familiares, campitales et viales, militates et marini. Small waxen images of them were made, and covered with dog-skin, and at festivals brought to the hearth and sacrifices offered to them.
The Penates were of two kinds, Patrii penates familiaresque. Those of the ancestors were worshipped in the innermost part of the house, which was called penetralia, also iinpluvium or compluvium. The city and temples were under the protection of the Publici penates, and these were worshipped in the Capitol.
The llii minorum gentiutn were Dii indegetes or heroes, of whom were Hercules, Castor and Pollux, Eneas and Romulus, as also the Roman emperors.
The gods called Semones were Pan, Fauna, Sylvanus. Vertumnus, Pomona, Flora, Terminus, Pales, Hymen, Laverna, Vacuna. Averruncas, Fascinus, Robigus, Mephitis, Cloacina ; also Nymphs in the earth, Orcades in mountains, Dryades in woods, Ha.madryades, Naplem, Naiades, Nereides, and Oceanides; and each river had a particular deity. The Semones also included the infernal judges, Minos, /Emus, and Rhadaman thus Charon, and Cerberus ; also the virtues and affections, such as Piety, Faith, Hope, Concord, Fortune; • also foreign deities, the winds and the tempests, Earns, Auger or Notus, Zephyrns, Borer's, Africus, Corus, 1Eolus, and Aurae.
The Romans worshipped some gods that they might do them good, and others that they might not hurt them, as Averruncas and Robigus. There was both a good Jupiter and a bad ; the former was called Dijovis or Diespiter, and the latter Vejovis or Vedius. But Ovid makes Vejovis the same with Jupiter parvus or non magnus.- Adams' Roman Antiquities. See Hindu ; Pitri.