Their story
Egeria was a nymph of a spring in a grove outside the Porta Capena, which she shared with the Camenae, and also of the sacred grove at Aricia. Livy says King Numa claimed to meet her by night and received from her the religious laws he gave to Rome. When Numa died, Ovid says, she wept so much that Diana turned her into a spring. Pregnant women offered to her for an easy birth.
Best times to give to them
- Before an important decision
- Kalends of each month
What they like being given
- Spring water
- Flowers
- Incense
- Honey
How to honour them
- Sit by moving water to think a problem through.
- Write a question at night and read it again in the morning.
- Ask for wisdom rather than a particular outcome.
How they can help you
- Wise counsel
- Lawful and fair decisions
- Easy childbirth
Symbols
- spring
- sacred grove
- scroll
Livy hints that Numa may have invented the meetings to give his laws authority.
Sources
- Livy 1.19 and 1.21
- Ovid, Metamorphoses 15
- Plutarch, Numa 4
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