Also called Genius Paterfamilias.
Their story
Every Roman man was believed to have a Genius, a guardian spirit born with him, and the Genius of the father of the family was honoured at the household shrine, often shown as a snake. On his birthday a man made offerings to his own Genius of wine, incense, cakes and garlands, and Censorinus notes that blood was not offered on that day. Horace speaks of farmers honouring the Genius with flowers and wine. Under Augustus the Genius of the emperor was worshipped at street shrines.
Best times to give to them
- Your birthday
- Kalends of each month
- Saturnalia
What they like being given
- Wine or grape juice
- Incense
- Honey cakes
- Flowers
How to honour them
- Give your own Genius an offering on your birthday.
- Offer a cake with a candle and speak your hopes for the year.
- Honour the Genius of the head of your household.
How they can help you
- Self-respect
- Vitality
- Birthdays and new years of life
Symbols
- serpent
- libation bowl
- cornucopia
- toga drawn over the head
The Genius loci of places is a related but separate idea.
Sources
- Censorinus, De Die Natali 2-3
- Horace, Epistles 2.1
- Tibullus 2.2
More Roman spirits
- The Lares Guardian spirits of the household and crossroads
- Penates Guardians of the household store cupboard
- Manes The honoured spirits of the family dead
- Juno (personal spirit) The guardian spirit of each woman
- Lares Compitales Guardians of crossroads and neighbourhoods
- Forculus and Limentinus Spirits of the door and the threshold
- Parcae The three Fates of birth and death
- Camenae Spring goddesses of song and prophecy