What are the differences in Greek and Roman myths?

Question

I do not mean the names, but the myths.

I understand that the story of Pomona and Vertumnus isn't in Greek myths. Are there any other Roman stories that are not in Greek myths besides these?

Thanks! =]

Answer 1

Sure there are many myths - especially about the founding of teh city of Rome which are exclusive Roman in nautre

Look here:  http://www.timelessmyths.com/classical/r...

The Tale of the two King-founders Romulus and Remus.

Also -- Although the Latin names for figures from Greek mythology are often better known than the Greek names, the names of traditional Roman deities are much less well known. Many have few or no myths attached. Bellona was an Italian goddess of war, said by the Romans to be the sister of Mars--think of "bellicose." Cloacina was the Roman goddess of sewers ("cloaca" in Latin). The rural Roman deity Faunus had a train of goat-eared Fauns very much like Pan's satyrs. He was the son of the woodpecker agricultural deity Picus and inherited some of his father's gift for prophecy. Fama was the Roman goddess of rumor and reputation-"fame." Flora, from whom we get the term "florist," was a Roman goddess of flowers, and of spring and youth in general. Fortuna -think "fortune"--was the Roman goddess of good luck, and one of the most popular Roman deities.

Of the purely Roman deities, one of the best known is JANUS, the two-faced Roman god of doorways, also the god of beginnings (like January) and endings. He was thought to be the oldest of gods, and his name was invoked even before that of Jupiter himself. One sometimes hears that Janus was the son of Apollo, but others disagree. Janus was married to Juturna, the goddess of springs, and he was the father of Fontus, the god of fountains.

The Lares and Penates were the household gods of Romans able to afford household deities. There were always two Penates, as gods of the storeroom. The Lares were good spirits of the departed, particularly of family ancestors. Lucina was a Roman goddess of childbirth and chastity. Pales was a Roman goddess of shepherds (or sometimes a male god). Pietas was the Roman goddess of domestic affection-for them, piety was family piety. Pomona was the Roman goddess of fruit trees, and married to the fruit and garden god Vertumnus, though others say she was married to another old Italian agricultural god, Picumnus. Silvanus was a Roman god of woods and fields. Some poets said he loved a youth named Cyparissus, who was transformed into a cypress tree, though this story is also told of Apollo. Terminus was the Roman god of boundaries and boundary stones.

http://uwp.edu/~canary/eng246/romans.htm...

Answer 2

Most of the time the differences are just the names.

The Romans had big cultural inferiority complex with the Greeks,, even after they conquered them. It's kind of like the United States and the British.

I can only think of a few truly roman myths,

Vesta... Goddess of the Hearth. Virgins used to tend her eternal flame in Rome. You've probably heard of the them,, The Vestal Virgins.

Romulus and Remus are the mythical founders of Rome.

But Greek influence almost overrides the Romans,, Virgil the great Roman poet writes the Aeneid.. which ties the mythological origins of the Romans into Greek Myth, but having their forefathers flee west from the burning city of Troy

Answer 3

aside from the story of the gods, you have the heroes. the greek heroes appeared in the illiad and in the oddysey, while the romans tell about the aenid, it's the story of aenas after the trojan warn. writers are different too. while the greeks boast homer, the romans have vigil.