Also called Duellona.
Their story
Bellona was the old Roman war goddess; her temple in the Campus Martius was vowed by Appius Claudius Caecus in 296 BC during battle with the Etruscans and Samnites. The Senate met there to receive returning generals and foreign envoys outside the sacred boundary of the city. Before it stood the war column, over which a priest hurled a spear toward enemy land to declare war. Under the late Republic she was merged with the Cappadocian goddess Ma, whose priests held ecstatic rites.
Best times to give to them
- Anniversary of her temple, 3 June
- Before a necessary confrontation
What they like being given
- Incense
- Red wine or grape juice
- Bay leaves
- A red candle
How to honour them
- Ask her for courage to stand up for yourself, not to harm.
- Light a red candle before a hard but just conversation.
- Name clearly what you are defending.
How they can help you
- Courage
- Standing ground
- Protecting others
Symbols
- spear
- torch
- helmet
- column
The later cult of Ma-Bellona involved self-wounding rites, which should not be imitated.
Sources
- Livy 10.19
- Ovid, Fasti 6
- Tibullus 1.6
More Roman goddesses
- Juno Queen of heaven and protector of women
- Minerva Patron of craftworkers, teachers and healers
- Venus Mother of the Roman people and goddess of love
- Diana Lady of the woodland grove and the moon
- Vesta The living flame at the heart of home and Rome
- Ceres Mother of the grain and friend of the common people
- Luna The moon, shining through the night
- Libera Partner of Liber in the Aventine triad