Roman Goddesses: Beauty, Power, and the Drama of the Eternal City | The Immortal Gazette
As always, the Immortal Gazette studio was buzzing with life—Loki leaning back in his chair with that ever-present half-smirk, Rumple pretending to care but giving away just how much he was invested in the stories with every small reaction. Alice, perched at the center with her cup of tea, had that glint in her eye that suggested she was ready to stir up trouble with a perfectly crafted tale.
"Alright, you immortal lot," Alice began with a dramatic flourish. "Let’s talk about Roman Goddesses—because, if there’s one thing that was absolutely never boring in Rome, it was the drama. And of course, it was often the goddesses who really brought the power, the beauty, and, oh yes, the chaos. Shall we?"
Loki tilted his head, intrigued, while Rumple merely shrugged as if the Roman gods were beneath him—though that didn’t stop him from eagerly listening in.
Alice gave a slight chuckle. "The Romans were good at taking things from the Greeks, but you know what? They made it their own. Their goddesses? Just as fierce, just as dramatic, and just as beautiful as their Greek counterparts—sometimes even more so."
She cleared her throat dramatically, then leaned in as if about to spill the juiciest of secrets.
"Let’s start with Juno, the queen of the Roman gods and the goddess of marriage, fertility, and empire. She ruled over the heavens and the earth with absolute authority, but don’t get it twisted, she wasn’t all about the love and peace of marriage. No, no, no. Juno had a temper, a serious one."
Rumple raised an eyebrow. "Oh, let me guess—she wasn’t exactly thrilled with her husband, Jupiter, and his endless list of infidelities?"
Alice grinned. "Exactly, Rumple. Juno was not thrilled. Just like her Greek counterpart, Hera, Juno had a real thing for vengeance. Jupiter would cheat, and Juno would retaliate. She had a deep, almost legendary jealousy. If you crossed her path—well, let’s just say you’d better hope you weren’t one of her husband’s lovers or children."
Loki laughed darkly. "Sounds like she was pretty justified, honestly."
Alice rolled her eyes in a playful manner. "Oh, definitely. But as we all know, revenge is a dish best served cold, and Juno’s revenge could come in the form of anything from tormenting a lover to punishing a child. Take Hercules, for example. Juno made his life miserable, trying to destroy him at every turn. And his twelve labors? She had a hand in them. Juno was not a woman you wanted to anger, no matter the century."
"Sounds like a woman who knows her worth," Loki mused.
"Yeah, but at the same time," Alice added with a smirk, "it also made her a little bit unstable at times. You know how it goes, right?"
Rumple gave an exaggerated yawn, though it was clear he was following closely. "Alright, who's next?"
Alice’s grin widened. "Ah, you’re impatient, are you? Fine. Let's move on to Venus, the goddess of love, beauty, and sex—the ultimate temptation. We’ve heard of her before, haven’t we, Loki?"
Loki’s lips curled into a knowing grin. "Ah, yes. Venus. The goddess who made the world a more… tempting place, shall we say?"
Alice snorted. "You could say that. Venus had power, alright—immense power over the hearts and minds of men, gods, and everyone in between. And let’s not forget her beauty. The Romans worshiped her for her grace, her allure, and her ability to make anyone fall in love with anyone else."
Loki’s eyes narrowed in thought. "Ah, yes. Love is so much easier when you have a goddess on your side."
"Indeed," Alice replied. "But let’s not pretend Venus didn’t have her drama. She was in an endless love triangle—and I’m not just talking about the affair with Mars (although, yes, she did have one with the god of war). I’m talking about the fact that she was married to Vulcan, the blacksmith god, but she could never seem to stay faithful."
Rumple’s eyes sparkled with amusement. "Sounds a bit like your typical celebrity drama, doesn’t it?"
Alice chuckled darkly. "Oh, completely. Venus and Mars—the ultimate couple, the hottest scandal around. They were like the gods of ‘can’t keep it in their pants’ and ‘don’t care who knows about it’. And Vulcan? Poor guy had no idea that his wife was up to her old tricks."
Loki leaned forward. "Honestly, I think I would’ve enjoyed watching that drama unfold."
"Don’t we all," Alice quipped. "But let’s not forget Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, fertility, and the harvest. Now, Ceres was a little more grounded than the other goddesses we’ve talked about, but she had her own epic drama. Persephone, her daughter, was kidnapped by Pluto, and Ceres had to go to war to get her back. She’s the reason we have seasons—because when Persephone was forced to spend part of the year in the underworld, Ceres grieved, and the earth froze over."
Rumple nodded thoughtfully. "See, now that’s a real maternal bond. It’s one thing to get angry about an affair, but to cause winter just to get your kid back? Now that’s love."
Alice grinned. "Exactly. Ceres was a goddess with fierce devotion to her daughter—and to the Earth itself. She ruled over the harvest, and when her daughter was stolen, the world itself suffered. But, like everything else, it was a drama rooted in family, loyalty, and heartbreak."
Loki stretched his arms behind his head. "Ah, the gods of the Romans, always a little more complicated than people realize."
Alice’s grin returned. "Oh, you bet. But they were beautiful, powerful, and incredibly dramatic. And that is why they’re remembered."
Rumple sighed. "I do enjoy a good bit of drama, but it seems like the Roman gods were just full of it."
Alice raised her teacup in a mock toast. "Indeed. And let’s face it—what would immortality be without just a little bit of chaos?"
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