The goddess Abeona and the Protection of Departures
The ancient Romans sought the protection of a multitude of deities, each specialized in accompanying and nurturing them at various moments of the day. These gods and spirits belonged to the early Roman religion and mythology, distinct from those adopted from other cultures. Many of these deities were minor figures, often born from the personification of an abstract quality. Since Latin terms for qualities and abstract concepts were frequently feminine, the number of female deities exceeded that of male ones.
With high infant mortality rates in antiquity and medicine in its early stages, Romans often relied on spells and popular traditions in place of pediatric care. For example, they turned to the goddess Carna for relief from a baby’s stomach ache, to Cunina to prevent accidental falls, Pontina to ward off choking, or Abeona to assist a child in their first steps outside the home.
The goddess Abeona derived her name from the Latin verb abire, meaning "to go away," and was seen as a guardian of departures. Romans invoked her for protection before any journey, whether it was a child’s first day at school, a child lost on their way home, or a young adult leaving the family home or marrying. Abeona was typically honored alongside Adeona, a related Roman deity. Adeona’s name came from adire, meaning "to return," and she was the protector of those coming home. Originally, these two deities represented one Italic, and later Roman, goddess associated with the natural process of coming and going in life. Over time, the singular goddess split into two, Abeona and Adeona, with more specific roles as other deities absorbed their broader responsibilities.
Both goddness were invoked for protection in the household shrine, known as the Lararium, where offerings were made without animal sacrifices. For young children, offerings typically included spelt cakes and milk; for older children or adults, offerings included cakes and wine.
The statues of these two goddesses stood alongside the statue of Libertas, commissioned on the Aventine Hill by Tiberius Gracchus, to symbolize that freedom could come and go as it wished.
Overall, Abeona and Adeona served as the deities of travelers and were part of a group of "minor" Roman deities, known as the indigetes gods.
Lararium in Villa Regina, Boscoreale, Naples, Italy
Di Indigetes was a name given collectively to these forebears, as well as to other deified powers or spirits who likewise controlled the destiny of Rome.
The Lari ( from the Latin lares, lar, "hearth" of home, derived from the Etruscan lar, "father") are figures of the Roman religion that represent the spirits protectors of the deceased ancestors who, according to Roman traditions, watched over the good progress of the family, of property or assets in general. The Lares were worshiped wherever properties adjoined, and inside every home their statuettes were placed in the domestic shrine (lararium). Under state control they moved from boundaries of properties to crossroads (where Augustus eventually associated his own genius with the cult) and were worshiped as the guardian spirits of the whole community (Lares Praestites).
The Romans had sacred formulas to invoke each deity for specific acts in private life, with a particular epithet for each. Approximately 150 such deities existed, with authors like Varro, Saint Augustine, Tertullian, and Arnobius recording these invocations.
A fresco discovered in the kitchen of “Villa 6,” in the Ranieri quarry area of Terzigno, depicts a scene from a Lararium and includes the figures of two guardian spirits, or Lares, alongside a sacrificing spirit (Genius) and two serpents approaching an offering dish. This fresco, now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Terzigno, illustrates the intimate and symbolic nature of Roman household worship practices.
Last update: October 27, 2024
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