It is known that the Romans adored their gods and goddesses. They believed that they had a power over their lives.
They respected them and they also believed that their happiness was in the hand of the gods. That’s why there were so many temples in Rome that were dedicated to different gods and goddesses.
In this article we will talk about Abundantia, one of the most adored goddesses in ancient Roman religion.
As you can see from her name, Abundantia was the goddess of abundance and prosperity. Actually, her name has a latin origin and it means “overflow“ or “plenty“ of something. It was believed that this goddess will bring good fortune to all people in the Roman Empire.
However, this goddess was considered to be a minor god. If you are interested in Roman gods, then you certainly know that there is a family tree of Roman gods and their connections. Of course, there were major gods and all people from the Roman Empire adored these gods.
These principle gods were worshipped from all the people in the Empire of Rome. Some of these major Roman gods were Jupiter, Minerva, Venus, Neptune, Diana, Mars, Apollo, Mercury, etc.
On the other side, there were also minor gods, but they were respected and adored as well. As we have already mentioned, Abundantia was a minor god and it was believed that she entered homes of people during the night. This way she was bringing abundance and prosperity to the people of Rome while they were sleeping.
If you want to find out more about Abundantia and her personality and powers in the Roman Empire, then you should continue reading this article.
Mythology and Symbolism
First of all we have to say that there were many myths and legends about Abundantia, the Roman goddess of prosperity and abundance. Abundantia was described as a beautiful girl of success and prosperity.
There was a picture in which Abundantia was holding cornucopia, which consisted of goat’s horn, corn, fruits and flowers. The symbolism of cornucopia was of the crucial importance. The cornucopia was considered to be the symbol of plenty.
Actually, there was a myth which said that the cornucopia was a horn that belonged to the mystical goat called Amaltheia, so it was believed that Jupiter has broken that horn by accident.
After that Jupiter helped the horn to fill itself again with drink and food. On the other side, there was a Greek legend which said that a horn was broken by Zeus.
There was also a popular picture with Abundantia standing on the ship and representing all the wealth of the Roman Empire. In some pictures Abundantia was sitting in the chair that was built from cornucopia.
We have already mentioned that people in Rome adored their gods, so it is no wonder that Abundantia was also adored. There were many temples in Rome that were dedicated to the worship of Abundantia.
In these temples there were animals and birds that were sacrificed, cakes, wine, flowers, as well as dedicating altars. These temples were similar to all other temples that were dedicated to gods.
Most important was that the sex of the animal that was sacrificed corresponded to the god’s or goddess’ sex.
The most common blood sacrifices to Abundantia were white ewe, heifer, cow or some kind of a female bird.
Another interesting fact is that the counterpart of this goddess in the Greek mythology was Eirene.
She was a Greek goddess of prosperity and abundance. Very often Abundantia was identified with Rosmerta, who was the Gallic goddess of prosperity.
A beautiful Hindu goddess of prosperity was called Lakshmi.
All these goddesses were helping people to stop worrying abot money and they were bringing abundance in people’s lives.
Facts
As you have already seen, Abundantia was considered to be the Roman goddess of abundance, prosperity and good fortune. It was believed that Abundantia was a very generous goddess and she fulfilled all wishes from people.
Some people believed that Abundantia could also come in their dreams and answer any questions that they may have related to their investments and finances.
Abundantia was not only a goddess of prosperity and abundance, but she was also a protector of savings and investments.
Abundantia was also known for her wisdom. She taught people how to spend money and how to save it. She helped people in business planning as well.
But, Abundantia had also a power to eliminate all worries and concerns that people had about money.
Financial worries could have a negative impact on people’s lives, so Abundantia was eliminating them and she helped people feel better. She was bringing them wealth and prosperity, but also good fortune and success.
Abundantia was also depicted on the Roman coins in the 3rd century CE. Of course, she was always depicted with the cornucopia, whose meaning we have already explained. Abundantia is also known to gamblers. They know her as “Lady Luck“ or “Lady Fortune“.
We hope this article has been interesting for you. Now you know who the goddess Abundantia was and why people loved her so much. She was considered to be a personification of abundance and wealth, so she was ready to give gifts to all people in the Roman Empire.
At the end we can say that Abundantia is reminding us of “plenty“ that is everywhere around us. You should not be satisfied with “enough“, but you should always look for “plenty“. A crucial thing for wealth and prosperity is not to be worried about financial situation. If you have fears and worries, you will always live in poverty and you will never be truly happy.
Many people believe in gods and their powers. It is also believed that gods may send angels to us, so we should pay more attention to little signs that may appear around us.
If you are lucky enough, angels may also visit you and bless you with good fortune, love and prosperity. If you receive a message from the Divine, you should not ignore it.
