Vesta was the native Roman goddess of the fireplace and the six virgins tended the sacred fire, baked sacred salt cakes (mola salsa) and oversaw the care of sacred objects in the temple.

It is not known whether this meant the merging of two deities or whether Cloacina was just an epithet used for the goddess ...

colleges of priests paid tribute to these gods on behalf of Rome itself. The objective of Roman worship was to gain the blessing of the gods and thereby gain prosperity for themselves, their ...