| Juventas | |
|---|---|
Goddess of youth and rejuvenation | |
| Symbol | Chalice |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents | Jupiter andJuno |
| Siblings | Mars,Vulcan,Bellona,Discordia,Lucina,Hercules |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek | Hebe |
Juventas, also known asIuventus orJuventus(Greek equivalent:Hebe), was theancient Roman goddess whose sphere oftutelage was youth and rejuvenation.[1] She was especially the goddess of young men "new to wearing thetoga"(dea novorum togatorum)—that is, those who had just come of age.[2][3][4]
Several voluntary associations(collegia) were formed for Juventas in the Italianmunicipalities, as attested by inscriptions.[5]
Juventas had a shrine within thecella ofMinerva on theCapitoline. According toDionysius[6] andLivy,[7] both she and the godTerminus are supposed to have "refused" the ceremony of reversal(exauguratio) performed whenTarquin wished to rebuild the temple district on the Capitoline. Although other deities were relocated, these two were incorporated into the new structure.[8] Dionysius also records that the semi-legendary kingServius Tullius established a temple fund for Juventas, to which each family had to contribute.[9][8] The view that she was a part of archaic Roman religion depends mainly on these two aetiological legends, as she has no presence in the early history ofRoman festivals.[10][8]
On the advice of theSibylline books, which were consulted amid anxieties surrounding theSecond Punic War, Juventas was included in sacrifices in 218 BC relating to alectisternium, a public banquet at which divine images were displayed as if the deities were participating.[11][12] Like other deities whose cult was ordained by the Sibylline books, Juventas was veneratedritu graeco, according to "Greek" rite.[4] Also at the lectisternium of 218 BC, asupplication was performed at the Temple ofHercules. InGreek myth, the divinized Hercules had Hebe as his wife. The cultivation of both deities at the time of the Second Punic War seems intended to reinvigorate men of fighting age: Juventas "was regarded as a powerful divine force rendering a vital gift of strength at a critical moment."[4] This occasion is also the first time theGenius Publicus ("Genius of the People") is recorded. After the disastrousBattle of Lake Trasimene in April 217 BC, Juventas, Hercules, and the Genius Publicus were excluded for a time from divine honors, as they were not felt to have been efficacious.[4]Marcus Livius Salinator vowed a temple to her during theBattle of the Metaurus, when he facedHasdrubal in 207 BC—an indication that Juventas was still felt to have potency.[4]
A procession(supplicia canum) in which Romans carried crucified dogs passed between the Temple of Juventas and that ofSummanus. A late source dates the "punishment of the dogs" to August 3.[13]
On Imperial coins, Juventas andSpes ("Hope") are often associated with the reigningCaesar.A supplication to Juventas and Spes marked the anniversary ofAugustus's coming of age.[14] Juventas was among the manyVirtutes ("Virtues") to appear on the coinage ofAntoninus Pius.[15]
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