Jupiter

Jupiter is the supreme ruling god. He is considered god of the sky and weather, and guardian of all property, oaths and treaties.

Jupiter is the king of the Roman gods. He has had many different names because he was adapted to fit the Roman's current needs. When the Roman Republic first appeared, he was Jupiter Lucetius. Jupiter Lucetius was the god of sun and moonlight. He also went by the names of Jupiter Elicius (god of wind, rain, storms, thunder, and lightning), Jupiter Dapalis (god of sowing), Jupiter Liber (god of creative forces), and Jupiter Terminus (god of boundary stones of fields). These incarnations of the god were caused by the fact that the early republic was very agricultural.

As the Roman Republic turned into the Roman Empire, Jupiter became known as a militant god. He assumed names such as Jupiter Strator, Jupiter Feretrius, and Jupiter Victor (warrior gods), Jupiter Optimus Maximus (great god of the empire), Jupiter Conservator Orbis (protector of the empire), and Jupitor Conservator Ator Augustorum (protector of the emperor). His main temple, Capitolum Vetus, was located on the Capitoline Hill. Jupiter is often depicted as a bearded older man, probably to show that he is wise.

Jupiter’s sacred animal is the eagle. The planet that bears the name Jupiter does so because it is the largest and most majestic planet.