Learn about Saturn feats and facts. One of the best known gods of Roman mythology and an important character in many legends.
Who is Saturn?
Saturn is the Roman god of agriculture, sowing, harvesting and seeds. Interpreted as the most complex deity in Roman religion, Saturn is also perceived as the god of wealth and abundance. The sixth farthest planet from Earth is also named Saturn, and is the planet that takes the longest time to complete a single orbit. It is widely speculated that this planet was so named because of its relationship to the Greek god Cronus, the god of time.
.Saturn Characteristics
- He is often depicted as an older man with a long white beard and curly hair. In some depictions, he has wings. He is portrayed as strong, muscular and veiled.
- He was an intellectual and strong-willed god. As Saturn was in control during the Golden Age, he was linked to fertility, agriculture, strength and justice. Saturn viewed all men as equals and his rule was one of fair judgment.
Saturn cultural references
This god was equated by the Romans to the Greek god Cronus. In the genealogy of the Greek gods, the character of Cronus was adapted to Saturn. However, Saturn differed from Cronus because the latter – according to legend – was imprisoned in Tartarus. In contrast, Saturn was believed to be one of the first kings of Rome, during the Golden Age of Roman prosperity. Saturn supposedly taught the Romans agriculture and other skills during a time when there was no work and unparalleled peace.
Cultural Representation
Among the cultural representations that made known everything related to this Roman god are:
Literature about Saturn
Albius Tibullus, a Latin poet born in 54 B.C., wrote a poem called Saturn’s Day, which eventually led to the word Sabbath in English. Another poet, Catullus, called the festival named after Saturn-the festival of Saturnalia-the best days he had ever experienced. Macrobius, a Roman provincial who lived in the 5th century, wrote the Seven Books of the Saturnalia (Latin: Saturnaliorum Libri Septem), an important historical resource on Roman history, mythology and critical discourse.
Visual Arts
This god of agriculture, sowing and seed, is often portrayed in art with a scythe, a sickle or a pruning knife. At other times, he is pictured devouring children, due to his association with Cronus. This interpretation of him is representative of the passage of time and the birth of new generations. On a wall in Pompeii, a painting shows Saturn wearing a white tunic and a veil of the same color over his head. He holds a sickle away from his body in his right hand, appearing ready to take action.
Explanation of the Saturn myth
According to legend, Saturn fled from his angry father, Coelus, and settled in Latium, Rome. His arrival was blessed by Janus, the god of gates, birth and death, past and future, and beginnings and endings. Together with Janus, Saturn ruled Latium during its Golden Age, during a long period of affluence and harmony.
According to legend, he was an immigrant god, but was welcomed by Janus with open arms. He educated the Romans on how to grow and produce grapes and taught them to be civilized. Consequently, this also made Saturn the god of wealth. Under his rule, the Romans were able to enjoy the bounties of life without the need for work.
Forms of Saturn worship
The ways to worship a god will depend on its location, the culture that allows to cover everything related to that supreme being in this case the worship of this Roman god, can be as follows.
Sacrifice
The Romans believed that if they made sacrifices to the gods, then the gods would reward them with favors. Saturn was one of the most frequently worshipped gods, and he often received sacrifices in his temple. Because Saturn’s characteristics were derived from Cronus, worshippers made sacrifices to Saturn in the same manner as they did with Greek rites, unlike the sacrifices made to the other Roman gods.
During these sacrificial ceremonies – and in contrast to the sacrifices to other Roman gods, where the head of the sacrificer was veiled – the head of the worshipper was not covered. The reason why the devotee’s head was veiled because Saturn was also perceived as the father of truth and the veils were worn out of respect. Gladiatory offerings were also made to Saturn during the month of December for a period of ten days. These were sponsored by funds from the treasury, found in the Temple of Saturn (Latin: Templum Saturni).
The Saturnalia
The festival of Saturnalia, which was one of the most fundamental, popular and lively events of the Roman calendar, was named after Saturn. It was originally celebrated on December 17, but was later extended to seven days, beginning on the same date but ending on December 23. This annual festival was based on a pagan festival and was therefore celebrated during the winter solstice.
The festival consisted of all the most fun aspects of other festivals: games, food, free speech and drink. A Pretender King watched over the festival, and was known as the King of Misrule. The jovial nature of this festival led to the cessation of work and the reversal of social norms. In these inverted norms, slaves were given certain freedoms, and they would reverse their roles with their masters.
Slaves wore their master’s clothes and the masters obeyed them. Later, Roman Christians replaced Saturnalia with Christmas. The celebrations were similar. Roman Christmas was similar, and was also filled with food, drink, gifts and the appearance of the King of the disobedient.
Saturn Temple
In 498 BC, the Romans built the Temple of Saturn near the Capitoline Hill in Rome. Historians, however, generally disagree about the history of the site, leading to inconclusive information. Previously, this hill was known as Saturnus Mons, also known as Saturn’s Mountain.
Some of the temples that remain today are “The Senate and the people of Rome restored” (the Temple of Saturn) consumed by fire”). The temple remained as a focal point and was consistently restored over the centuries. The temple was used as a Roman treasury and housed all the gold and silver, symbolizing the role as god of plenty. Supposedly, the statue inside the building was made of wood and was filled with oil. The legs of the statue were wrapped in wool, which was only removed at the beginning of the Saturnalia.