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Juno Facts & Worksheets

Juno was an ancient Roman deity, the chief goddess and female counterpart of Jupiter on Mount Olympus.

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Juno was an ancient Roman deity, the chief goddess and female counterpart of Jupiter on Mount Olympus.

See the fact file below for more information on the Roman Goddess, Juno, or you can download our 26-page Juno worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

BIRTH OF JUNO

  • Juno’s origin story was very similar to Hera’s from Greek Mythology. Caelus, a god or Titan, ruled the cosmos at the beginning of time. Caelus’ son, Saturn, eventually overthrew him and took control of the universe for himself. 
  • Saturn married Ops, the elemental earth goddess, and they had children. Saturn then discovered a prophecy that predicted his demise at the hands of one of his offspring while the children were still growing in Ops’ womb. 
  • Saturn ate his first five children, one of whom was Juno, because he didn’t know who would take over as usurper. Rather than developing their own tradition of mythological narratives, the Romans frequently borrowed and appropriated Greek mythology, substituting Roman figures for previously used Greek deities. 
  • Juno played the role of Hera, the queen mother of the Greek deities, in the Romanized version of this mythology. As a result, the two goddesses’ mythologies are nearly identical.

ROLE OF JUNO

  • Juno was a significant and powerful figure among the gods and the people of Rome in Ancient Roman mythology. 
  • Juno was revered as the goddess of women’s lives, particularly married life. Intriguingly, the month of June was eventually named after her and became a popular time for couples to marry.
  • During the Roman Empire, Juno had several names, titles, and roles, as the Queen of the Gods and Goddesses and the protector of all things good.
  • Her roles were distinguished by several branches, including vitality, military, purity, fertility, femininity, and youth.
  • While Juno’s duties included protecting all of Rome, she was especially concerned with protecting women in the culture.
  • Juno’s other responsibilities included overseeing childbirth. In this role, she was frequently referred to as Juno Lucina. She was regarded as a comforter for women and something akin to a guardian angel.
  • When girls reached puberty, they were initiated into adulthood under the auspices of Juno Sororia, which means “sister.” 
  • Purification rituals included passing beneath a yoke, or crossbeam of wood, known as the tigillum sororium.
  • The modern term “sorority,” or “sisterhood,” is derived from the title “Sororia.” Furthermore, Juno was also referred to as Juno Moneta and depicted as a sovereign warrior. 
  • As a result, the Roman empire’s army honored her in the hopes of gaining her support on the battlefield. Juno Moneta also protected the Roman warriors by bestowing her strength upon them.
  • Juno appears in a number of ancient myths. According to a Roman poet, when Jupiter gave birth to Minerva from his head, Juno was envious that it wasn’t her who was giving birth. 
  • Flora, the goddess of flowering plants, then bestowed a herb that enabled her to bear the god Mars.

RELATION TO OTHER GODS

  • Juno’s family includes a large number of members of the Roman gods and goddesses. The goddess has been described as Saturn’s daughter, along with Jupiter’s twin brother. 
  • These twins, on the other hand, married in order to make Juno the queen of the ruling class of gods in ancient Rome.
  • Juno and Jupiter’s marriage was not a happy one, despite the fact that they had children together. Jupiter was a notorious womanizer who had numerous affairs. 
  • According to one Roman myth, the fog was created as a result of Jupiter’s attempt to conceal his affairs from Juno’s watchful gaze. 
  • Juno, a jealous goddess, was constantly on the lookout for and punishing those with whom her husband had cheated.
  • Juno gave birth to two sons named Mars, the Roman god of war, and Vulcan, the god of fire. Mars, however, was not fathered by Juno’s husband, Jupiter, but rather by the use of a magical flower given to Juno by Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers and spring.
  • In addition, Juno is said to be closely associated with Janus, the god of passages and beginnings, who is often referred to as Junonius after her. 
  • Juno was mistakenly identified as the tutelary deity of the month of January in ancient Roman farmers’ almanacs; however, Juno is the patron deity of the month of June. Janus then ruled over the start and end of armed conflict, and thus war and peace.

SYMBOLISM AND POPULAR CULTURE

  • Juno, one of the most important goddesses in Roman mythology, wears the cloak of power. Her attention to feminine attributes such as fertility, childbirth, and marriage may be one of her Greek counterpart’s most notable features.
  • However, in Roman practice, it went far beyond that.
  • Her presence was integrated and worshipped in many aspects of daily life.
  • Juno is generally portrayed as more warrior-like than her Greek counterpart, Hera. 
  • She is usually depicted wearing a goatskin coat and carrying a spear and shield; she has also been depicted wearing a crown of lilies and roses and riding in a golden chariot drawn by peacocks. 
  • In some instances, she is depicted with a matronly demeanor, exuding a dignified and majestic air deserving of her grand station.
  • The scepter she holds is one of the many symbols associated with Juno in various images and portrayals. 
  • In ancient civilizations and artworks from the Roman period and later eras, Juno holds a pomegranate, a fertility symbol.
  • The story goes that Juno was given a scared lily that impregnated her with a single touch, resulting in the birth of Mars. Some interpretations of Juno’s life compare her to the Virgin Mary of Christianity due to her pregnancy and birth taking place in a virginal manner. 
  • The story of Juno and the sacred lily is usually associated with the fleur-de-lis as a symbol.
  • Juno, like most gods and goddesses, was honored with a festival. Matronalia, observed on March 1st, was a day when husbands were expected to present their wives with gifts. 
  • Some believe the festival commemorates the birthday of Juno’s son, Mars, while others believe it marked the end of the Roman-Sabine War, in which women played an important role.
  • In modern times, the space probe launched in 2011 to investigate the planet Jupiter was named Juno.
  • Juno, the space probe, is circling the massive planet, examining its magnetic and gravitational fields, including its composition. 
  • It was built by Lockheed Martin and is used by NASA as well as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  • The name Juno was also used in the popular 2007 film Juno, which starred Ellen Page and Michael Cera. 
  • Though the film did not directly invoke the Roman goddess, the plot revolved around the trials of a pregnant adolescent and included themes of youth, motherhood, and child-rearing, all traditional Juno domains.

Juno Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Roman Goddess Juno across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Juno, an ancient Roman deity, the chief goddess and female counterpart of Jupiter on Mount Olympus.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

Below is a list of all the worksheets included in this document.

  1. Juno Facts
  2. Roman Symbols
  3. The Capitoline Triad
  4. Juno’s Family
  5. Sacred Animal
  6. Juno’s Search
  7. A Dedication to Mothers
  8. Women’s Protection
  9. Face of a Goddess
  10. Juno vs. Hera
  11. Juno Summarized

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Juno famous for?

Juno, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, could be the origin behind June’s name – a popular month for weddings even today. Additionally known as Juno Lucina or Who Brings to Light, her tales are rooted in Greek mythology. Unsurprisingly enough, she remains an influential figure among many cultures throughout history up until this day.

What is a myth about Juno?

Juno held a special connection to women’s married lives and was particularly resentful when Jupiter birthed Minerva from his head. After Flora bestowed an herb upon her, Juno bore Mars – in return. This further cemented her bond with matrimony and all it entailed.

What does the name Juno mean?

Deriving from the Latin iuvenis, meaning “youth,” Juno is an immortal Roman divinity that presides over protecting the state and female citizens. This formidable goddess is known as the queen of all gods and stands as a symbol of strength and guidance.

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Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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