ancient Roman temple in Rome, Italy

Piazza della Rotonda, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
US: /-ɒn/; Latin: Pantheum, from Ancient Greek Πάνθειον (Pantheion) '[temple] of all the gods') is an ancient 2nd century Roman temple and, since AD 609, a Catholic church called the Basilica of … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Religion
Affiliation Catholicism (since 609)
Ancient Roman religion (formerly)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Minor basilica, Rectory church
Roman temple (formerly)
Factsheet
Religion
Affiliation Catholicism (since 609)
Ancient Roman religion (formerly)
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Minor basilica, Rectory church
Roman temple (formerly)
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Pantheon,_Rome
Pantheon, Rome - Wikipedia
1 day ago - Mary and the Martyrs on 13 May 609: "Another Pope, Boniface, asked the same [Emperor Phocas, in Constantinople] to order that in the old temple called the Pantheon, after the pagan filth was removed, a church should be made, to the holy virgin Mary and all the martyrs, so that the commemoration ...
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University of Chicago
penelope.uchicago.edu › encyclopaedia_romana › romanurbs › pantheon.html
Pantheon
"This Pope was Boniface, fourth ... it as the Church of the Holy Mother of God and all Christian Martyrs; and once its horde of devils had been cast out, it became a memorial to the Company of Saints.......
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Blogger
triablogue.blogspot.com › 2016 › 07 › in-ancient-rome-worship-of-gods-morphed.html
Triablogue: In Ancient Rome, the worship of ‘gods’ morphed into the veneration of ‘saints’
Laing makes the connection that “it is in the doctrine of the veneration of Saints that the polytheism of the old departmental deities survives.” This is particularly true AFTER Constantine was converted and further, after Christianity became the “official” Roman religion.
People also ask

How many gods are in the Pantheon?
The term "Pantheon" originates from the Greek words "pan" (meaning "all") and "theos" (meaning "gods"). The Pantheon in Rome was initially built as a temple dedicated to all the gods of Ancient Rome. However, the exact number of gods represented in the original Pantheon is unclear, as the Roman Pantheon included numerous deities from various sources, including Etruscan, Greek, and indigenous Roman gods. Here are five important Roman gods and their corresponding Greek names:
  1. Jupiter (Zeus): The king of the gods, Jupiter was the god of the sky, thunder, and justice.
  2. Juno (Hera): Jupiter's wife and the queen of the gods, Juno was the goddess of marriage and childbirth.
  3. Mars (Ares): The god of war and a guardian of agriculture, Mars was an important deity for the Romans.
  4. Venus (Aphrodite): The goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, Venus was venerated by both the Romans and Greeks.
  5. Neptune (Poseidon): Neptune was the god of the sea, earthquakes, and horses, wielding great power in the Roman Pantheon.
When the Pantheon was converted into a Christian church in 609 CE, it became dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all the Christian martyrs, and the worship of Roman gods ceased. Consequently, the Pantheon no longer houses representations of multiple gods but serves as a place of worship for the Christian faith.
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rome.us
rome.us › home › pantheon
Visiting Pantheon in Rome: Tickets, Opening Hours 2025 & History
Is there a dress code inside the Roman Pantheon?
Since the Pantheon is now a functioning church, respectful attire is required. Avoid wearing shorts, tank tops, or other revealing clothing.
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rome.us
rome.us › home › pantheon
Visiting Pantheon in Rome: Tickets, Opening Hours 2025 & History
How big is the Pantheon?
The Pantheon in Rome is an impressive structure with a sizable footprint. The building's diameter, equal to the interior height from the floor to the oculus, measures 43.3 meters (142 feet). This creates a sense of perfect symmetry, as a sphere with a diameter of 43.3 meters could fit precisely within the interior space. The dome, an engineering marvel, also has a diameter of 43.3 meters. The portico, featuring 16 towering Corinthian columns, extends 33.1 meters (108.6 feet) in width and 13.6 meters (44.6 feet) in depth, contributing to the building's grandeur and scale.
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rome.us
rome.us › home › pantheon
Visiting Pantheon in Rome: Tickets, Opening Hours 2025 & History
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Salt + Light Media
slmedia.org › blog › the-pantheon-and-all-saints
The Pantheon and All Saints | Salt + Light Media
In his Angelus Address this past ... dedicated to all Roman gods. Marcus Agrippa, a consul in Rome, had the temple built in 27 B.C. The temple ......
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mythology › did the roman pantheon "become" anything when christianity happened?
r/mythology on Reddit: Did the roman pantheon "become" anything when Christianity happened?
February 24, 2025 -

I've heard that rather than completely expunge prior systems of belief, conversion into Christianity sometimes entailed integrating pagan gods as minor powers in its own mythos e.g. the casting out of Celtic deities to tir-na-nog where they eventually became the fae, or the goat-headed baphomet or horned satyr Pan becoming symbolically linked with satan

Did something similar happen with the Roman deities? Did they become lesser symbols in Christian beleif, whether good or bad? Or did they just fade away entirely?

Top answer
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Some of them did. The "Christian Graces" , for instance, are a clear adaptation of older Graeco-Roman deities. A lot of scholars see parallels between the riders of the Apocalypse in the book of Revelations and Roman deities like Mars and Mors, and the seven deadly sins and seven heavenly virtues are certainly derivative of Graeco-Roman virtue and vice deities like Fides, Pudicitia, Concordia, and Invidia. In other cases, they may have influenced the demonic spirits in tomes like the Ars Goetia. Bifrons is a spirit that many scholars have theorized may be connected to Janus, who is likewise two-faced and has an epithet "Bifrons". Then there were some scholars who took the view that the Roman deities were all originally great men in history, and that they had evolved out of ancestor-worship (this isn't supported by modern anthropology in the slightest, to be clear). In these cases they connected many of them to great Biblical figures. Saturn is said to be Noah, Jupiter his son Ham, Neptune his son Japeth, etc. etc. In general, there was a continued belief in the power of the gods in Rome long after Christianization. Their temples were feared and shunned, kept locked shut to keep the gods inside, for centuries afterward. The Christianized Romans likely believed them to be demons or some other fell powers, but a general belief in their power to influence the world remained.
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Importantly, the Roman religion practices were in a process of transformation when the Christians arrived on the scene—it is one of the last remanent developments in religious practices that arose from cultural shifts happening all over the Greco-Roman world, starting with the founding of Alexandria and ending in the late 4th century—a cosmopolitan movement towards "syncreticization" was underfoot across traditions. In this time period—we see the development of emergent new practices, beliefs, and practices from across the Mediterranean and beyond. No one was prohibiting other people's gods, on the contrary, they were trying to find what they had in common, how they might transcend language itself. In the now Greek-controlled Egypt we see the rise of Hermeticism—a religious movement combining Greek philosophy with Egyptian alchemy and ritual, where Hermes and Thoth melded to become Hermes Trismegistos. In Abrahamic tradition, we see the rise of apocalyptic literature, which brings in aspects of pagan mythology into a Jewish cosmos, there's also an interjection of Platonic philosophy through Jewish writers like Philo. Gnosticism, with varied expressions between Abrahamic, Egyptian, Christian, and the extant Mandaean faith bends begin to appear, exploring Egyptian-style afterlife(s) through Chaldean-Pythagorean cosmologies. You also see the proliferation of mystery cults—though they had existed in Eleusis, Samothrace, and around the Greek world for centuries, in Roman times they begin to multiply—becoming ever more exotic as the Empire expanded. Mithras, Isis, Iovi Dolicheno, Sabazios, and many other deities are imported and begin to transform, the Romans were influenced by ancient near eastern cultures from Egypt, the Levant, Syria, and Mesopotamia. We have magical amulets and engravings from this period where these different deities are invoked in the same lines—freely mixing Osiris, Set, the nymphs, Muses, Jesus Christ, and JHWH in a way that is perplexing to our modern notions of these traditions. Even in Christian literature, there are appearances from Artemis Ephesia, Aphrodite Ourania, Thanatos, Roma, and other mythological motifs that don't have a clear Abrahamic counterpart. It's truly a fascinating time in history that's often overlooked, which is why I made a game about it.
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Rome
rome.us › home › pantheon
Visiting Pantheon in Rome: Tickets, Opening Hours 2025 & History
March 21, 2025 - CE, it became dedicated to the Virgin Mary and all the Christian martyrs, and the worship of Roman gods ceased. Consequently, the Pantheon no longer houses representations of multiple gods but serves as a place of worship for the Christian faith.
Address   Piazza della Rotonda, Roma
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To Scale
fscj.pressbooks.pub › earlyhumanities2ndedition › chapter › early-beliefs-and-the-roman-pantheon
Early Beliefs and the Roman Pantheon – Humanities: Prehistory to the 15th Century
In many societies, ancient and modern, religion has performed a major role in their development, and the Roman Empire was no different. From the beginning Roman religion was polytheistic. From an initial array of gods and spirits, Rome added to this collection to include both Greek gods as well as a number of foreign cults.
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Unamsanctamcatholicam
unamsanctamcatholicam.com › 2022 › 10 › 29 › the-feast-of-all-saints-and-the-roman-pantheon
The Feast of All Saints and the Roman Pantheon – Unam Sanctam Catholicam
We will first focus on the political background of the era and the events that culminated in the granting of the Roman Pantheon to the Catholic Church in the year 609 with its subsequent re-dedication as a place of worship dedicated to all the ...
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Rome Cabs
romecabs.com › blog › 10 unique facts about the pantheon you probably didn’t know
10 Unique Facts about the Pantheon you probably didn’t know | Romecabs
What saved this previous monument from a fate similar to the Colosseum that left it devastated by neglect and quarried for materials to build palaces and churches in Rome, the saving grace of the Pantheon came in from of a gift from Byzantine Emperor Phocas to Pope Boniface IV in 609 AD who in ...
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Ancient Origins
ancient-origins.net › myths-legends-europe › roman-gods-0011369
The Roman Pantheon Had A God for All Seasons - And Then Some | Ancient Origins
For example, Dionysus, the Greek god of wine was worshiped by the Romans as Bacchus. Pan, the Greek god of the wilds became Faunus, whereas the renowned hero and god Herakles became Hercules. Interestingly, the Romans also absorbed the Titans, the enemies of the Greek Olympians, into their pantheon.
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Smarthistory
smarthistory.org › the-pantheon
The Pantheon (Rome) – Smarthistory
A number of scholars have now suggested that the original Pantheon was not a temple in the usual sense of a god’s dwelling place. Instead, it may have been intended as a dynastic sanctuary, part of a ruler cult emerging around Augustus, with the original dedication being to Julius Caesar, the progenitor of the family line of Augustus and Agrippa and a revered ancestor who had been the first Roman deified by the Senate.
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Pantheon Rome
pantheonroma.com › home › the millennial-old history of the pantheon of rome
History of the Pantheon in Rome and curiosities to discover
April 14, 2025 - In 608 Pope Boniface IV had the remains of many martyrs removed from the Christian catacombs and placed in the Pantheon. Thereafter the temple was officially converted to Christianity and named Saint Maria ad Martyres.
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1CityTour
1citytour.com › home › blog › the pantheon, a church dedicated to all martyrs
THE PANTHEON, A CHURCH DEDICATED TO ALL MARTYRS - 1CityTour | Tours in Rome
June 11, 2025 - Instead of dedicating the building to a specific religious figure, the Pope consecrated it to “Santa Maria ad Martyres” (Saint Mary and all the Martyrs). This gesture is significant because it emphasizes the continuity of the Pantheon as ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/latin › how true is the notion that saints (especially roman catholic) are pagan roman gods in disguise?
r/latin on Reddit: How true is the notion that saints (especially Roman Catholic) are pagan Roman gods in disguise?
April 19, 2019 -

A common claim in the occult and pagan communities is that pagan gods never stopped being worshipped- they simply were canonised as Saints by the Catholic Church. That Sainthood is a way to "worship the old gods" while also remaining monotheistic under the new state religion of Roman Catholicism established and enforced by Constantine.

I seen so many claims about many Saints having similar names or appearances to pagan gods because they are essentially the old gods. Such as Martin of Tours being Mars, Mother Mary being Diana, Jesus being Mithras, etc.

Around the world many foreign traditions blended Christianity to disguise old pagan gods with Catholicism. There is Santeria in Latin America which worships old African gods using Saint statues as disguise, Hoodo which alters African magic to be practised in a Christian framework, and plenty of Hispanic countries have local uncanonised Saints not endorsed by the Vatican such as Santa Muerte as well as customs directly from pre-Spaniard invasion. In addition many associated Catholic iconography such as the Lady of Guadalupe were attempts to use local pagan deities such as Tonantzin to make it easier for locals to accept Christianity.

So it shouldn't surprise me if there is a connection of using Saints as a proxy to worship old Roman gods. Hell in Italy there is even Stregheria and Stregoneria, a recent underground movement of witchcraft and sorcery using reconstruction of old lost Roman religion and using the Saints as a guise to worship the old gods (because Italy still has violence against pagans and accused witches). Some Stregoneria websites and Stragheria books even mentioned that the Roman paganism was never lost and as far as the Medieval ages many old Italian aristocrats and locals were already practising pre-modern versions Stregoneria and Stragheria, worshipping pagan gods and casting spells to curse others or for selfish acts such as money gains or earning someone's love.

Just a FYI tidbit, Stregoneria and Stragheria translates as witchcraft inmodern Italian with the latter being the old common word and the former being contemporary usage to refer to local witchcraft.

I am curious from the perspective of Academia and Ancient Rome studies, how accurate are these claims? Just the fact every place the Iberians conquered ended up having local syncretism of paganism and Catholicism wouldn't surprise me at all if Italians still continued worshipping the old gods as far as into the Renaissance and even Napoleonic era. I mean the Scandinavians did try to worship both Viking gods and Christian saints using the same statues in simultaneous rituals. So shouldn't something like this have happened to the Roman pagan religions and various Italic peoples and states post-Rome?

Can anyone give their input? With reliable sources (preferably books and documentaries but anything including websites will do)?

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Rome Cabs
stefanorometours.com › stefano rome tours › blog › history and captivating facts of the roman pantheon
Divine Legacies: History and Captivating Facts of the Roman Pantheon | Stefano Rome Tours | Stefano Rome Tours
In this blog, History and Captivating Facts of the Roman Pantheon, we invite you to join us on a virtual exploration of the Pantheon, unraveling its fascinating history and unearthing hidden curiosities that make it a true wonder of the world. From its origins as a pagan temple dedicated to the gods of Rome to its transformation into a Christian church, and later historical figures buried within its hallowed walls, the Pantheon has witnessed centuries of cultural shifts and architectural adaptations.
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Italy's Best Rome
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The Pantheon - Italy's Best Rome
January 15, 2021 - Caesar had been deified prior to his death and Augustus, his son, followed suit. This original pantheon burned down in the fire of 80 AD and was rebuilt, eventually, by the Emperor Hadrian from 117 to 127 AD.
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Walks of Italy
walksofitaly.com › home › pantheon facts: 6 surprising insights into the roman monument
Pantheon Facts: 6 Surprising Insights into the Roman Monument
May 21, 2025 - Even Cassius Dio, writing just 75 years after the Pantheon was reconstructed, wasn’t sure what it was for. “It has this name, perhaps because it received among the images which decorated it the statues of many gods, including Mars and Venus; but my own opinion of the name is that, because of its vaulted roof, it resembles the heavens,” he wrote in his History of Rome.
Address   Viale Giuseppe Mazzini 88, 00195
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Everything Everywhere
everything-everywhere.com › home › blog › the roman pantheon of gods
The Roman Pantheon of Gods
July 25, 2025 - Hades, the god of the underworld, became Pluto. There is one god who should be mentioned, because his name never changed. It was the same in both Greece and Rome: Apollo. The god Apollo is unique among the major deities of the Roman pantheon in that his name, attributes, and mythology were adopted from the Greeks with relatively little change.
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HISTORY
history.com › home › articles › pantheon - rome, age & dome | history
Pantheon - Rome, Age & Dome | HISTORY
Traditionally thought to have been designed as a temple for Roman gods, the structure’s name is derived from the Greek words pan, meaning “all,” and theos, meaning “gods.” · The original Pantheon was destroyed in a fire around 80 A.D. It ...
Published   May 28, 2025
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Ancient World Magazine
ancientworldmagazine.com › articles › pantheon-rome
A temple for all the gods - The Pantheon in Rome - Ancient World Magazine
It seems therefore likely that construction of the Pantheon began before Hadrian became the ruler of the Roman Empire. Hetland suggests that construction started in AD 114-116.