ROMAN. Jupiter, under various forms of the name, was worshiped throughont all Italy. and his posit as god of the heavens is made even plainer by the epithet Lueetins, `bringer of light.' in the hymn of the Salii. This aspect of the god is obvious in the earlier forms of his worship at Rome. The Ides, or day of the full nmon• war sacred to Jupiter. and in his honor was vele bratcd the festival connected with the vintage, pipit rt nth' because the wine was especially de pendent on the god of heaven for its increase. The chief sanctuary in Rome was on the summit of the Capitol. where the god was worshiped with Juno and I\ linerva. as Jupiter ()Ohm's Maximus.
near by was an earlier chapel. said to have been dedicated by flomultts 10 Jupiter which contained only a piece of Milt as a sacred symbol. probably of the thunderbolt, whence the god was also called Jupiter Lapis. The same de velopment of the all-seeing and all-powerful god of the heavens to be the protector and guardian of human rights and suppliants which occurred in Greece can also he traced to Rome. where Jupiter was also the guardian of oaths. and the protector of international relations, wherefore the Fetiales are especially connected with his cult. here also
e find Jupiter a god of battles, whose thunder bolts might be drawn down upon the enemy, and to whom the general who had slain the hostile leader dedicated the spotlit. opitild. Jupiter also revealed the future by signs, and On one Of the summits of his sacred hill• the Capitol. the au gurs had their station. That Jupiter was widely worshiped in the country as giver 01 fair weather and sender of the rain and storm is natural, but in the Roman State his chief importance lies in the political cult at the Capitol. which came to be the religions centre of Roma» rule. Closely with this was the N't or,hip of Jupiter Latiaris on the Alban where was a very ancient sanctuary, apparently once the re ligions centre of the Latin League. Consult: the article "Jupiter" in Roscher. •iron Wer gricch iyck n and rdinkrhen Mythologic ( Leipzig. 1890 Religion wed Kullus der llOiner, in liandb net( der Klassesell en .1 1 tert linis irissen.selid ft, iv. (Munich, 1902) : Roinisehe dlytiuologie (Berlin. 158I ).