Jupiter

Culture: Ancient Roman   Domain: Sky, thunder, state law, kingship

Jupiter is the chief god of the Roman state pantheon, closely paralleling Zeus but with a distinctly Roman civic character: he presided over oaths, treaties, and the Roman state itself from his great temple on the Capitoline Hill, shared with Juno and Minerva. Generals celebrating a triumph rode to his temple to give thanks, tying his worship directly to Roman public life.

Associations

The sky, thunder and lightning, state authority, oaths and treaties, the eagle.

Ways people honor him (modern)

• Honor formal commitments and civic responsibilities
• Offer thanks after a significant personal "triumph" or achievement
• Keep an eagle image or oak leaves on the altar
• Read of his role in Roman state religion, distinct from Zeus's more personal myths

Approach any deity with respect and do your own research. Practices vary widely between traditions, and modern devotional practice often goes beyond what survives in ancient sources.