Their story
Pietas was the Roman virtue of dutiful devotion to gods, family and country, and the defining quality of Virgil's Aeneas. Her temple in the Forum Holitorium was vowed in 191 BC and dedicated by the son of the general in 181 BC. A famous story told how a daughter kept her imprisoned mother alive by nursing her, and the site was given to Pietas. The stork, thought to care for its aged parents, was her emblem on coins.
Best times to give to them
- Parentalia, 13 to 21 February
- Kalends of each month
What they like being given
- Incense
- Milk
- Flowers
- A small act of care for a parent
How to honour them
- Visit or call an elderly relative in her name.
- Keep your household rites regularly.
- Offer incense and thanks for those who raised you.
How they can help you
- Family duty
- Caring for elders
- Religious steadiness
Symbols
- stork
- incense box
- altar
Ancient versions of the nursing story differ on whether the prisoner was mother or father.
Sources
- Livy 40.34
- Valerius Maximus 5.4.7
- Pliny, Natural History 7.121
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