Greek vs Roman Trivia Quiz

Answer: Greek

Hephaestus is the Greek god of fire and metalworking and is often portrayed as the blacksmith of the gods. Hephaestus is often equated with the Roman god Vulcan. The Greeks seem to have viewed Hephaestus as someone who was a crafter and used fire to create things whereas for the Romans Vulcan equally represented the destructive power of fire.

Answer: Greek

Uranus is one of the Greek primordial deities who existed before the birth of Zeus and the rest of the Olympian gods and were regarded more as personifications of concepts than gods in human form like the later Olympians. Uranus is the god and personification of the Sky. Uranus' equivalent in Roman myth is Caelus.

The seventh planet in our solar system is called Uranus after the god and is the only planet in the solar system named for a figure from Greek mythology.

Answer: Greek

Hestia is one of the Greek Olympian gods and is goddess of the hearth, and thus domestic matters in the home, family and state. Hestia does not appear much in Greek mythological tales although she was an important goddess to society as custom dictated that she should receive the first offering of every sacrifice due to one of her roles being the goddess of sacrificial fire.

Hestia's Roman counterpart is Vesta who is goddess of the hearth, home and family.

Answer: Greek

Chronos is the Greek deity and personification of the concept of time. He is often confused with the Titan Cronus who fathered Zeus but they are not the same mythological figure. Chronos is often depicted as an old man highlighting the effect of passing time on the human figure and he is believed to be inspiration behind the Renaissance iconography of the figure of 'Father Time'.

Answer: Greek

Ares is one of the 12 Olympian Gods and is the god of war and courage. Ares is a complex character in Greek mythology as he is revered for personifying the courage needed for success in battle but is less well thought of for his role personifying violence and bloodlust. Ares is often said to be the Greek equivalent of the Roman god Mars however Mars was more highly regarded in the Roman pantheon and was viewed as the protector of the people rather than a violent figure.

Answer: Roman

Minerva is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law and victory, she is also associated with the arts, trade and strategy. Her Greek counterpart is Athena and many of the stories about Athena that appear in Greek myth are also told about Minerva in Roman myth.

In Roman Britain Minerva became associated with a Celtic goddess called Sulis and their names often appeared together as Sulis Minerva in Britain and was most closely associated with hot springs at Bath which in Roman times was called Aqua Sulis.

Answer: Roman

Ceres is the Roman goddess of agriculture, fertility and motherhood. The modern English word cereal, referring to grain crops, is derived from Ceres and her role as goddess of agriculture and crop fertility. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Demeter, who was goddess of the harvest.

Answer: Roman

Orcus is a Roman god of the underworld who is the punisher of broken oaths. Orcus is believed to have his origins in Etruscan mythology and was mainly worshipped in rural areas with little evidence he had much following in cities. The Italian word 'orco' meaning a fairy-tale monster that feeds on human flesh is believed to derive from the god Orcus due to his association with the underworld and death.

Answer: Roman

Janus is the Roman god of beginnings, doorways, transitions and endings and is usually shown with two faces - one looking forwards and one back. Janus gives his name to the month of January. There is no equivalent in Greek mythology to Janus although there are significant similarities between Janus and the god Culsans from Etruscan mythology.

Answer: Roman

Diana is the Roman goddess of hunters, the countryside and the moon. In early Roman culture Diana is seen mainly as the goddess of hunters but later became associated with the Greek goddess Artemis as Roman religion became more influenced by Greek religion and myths.