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Jupiter (Roman God) Facts & Worksheets

Jupiter is the Roman god of sky and thunder.

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Jupiter Optimus Maximus, also called Jove, is the Roman god of the sky and thunder and also the king of the gods in Ancient Rome Mythology.

See the fact file below for more information on Jupiter, or you can download our 24-page Jupiter worksheet pack to utilize within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • Jupiter was the head of the pantheon of gods and the Roman state’s protector. His name is derived from the Greek root word diu, which means “bright.” In Old Latin, Jupiter means “father” and another form of his name, Jove, is an extension of the Latin name for the day of the week Thursday. 
  • Jupiter’s Greek mythological counterpart is Zeus. Jupiter, like Zeus, was thought to reside on Mount Olympus in Greece.
  • The Roman calendar celebrated Jupiter more than anyone else. That last point comes from an extension of one of his epithets. Jupiter was known by many different names for the various functions he performed.
  • Jupiter is regarded as the most powerful god in the Roman pantheon. During the Republican and Imperial eras, Jupiter was recognized as the chief deity of the Roman state religion, until Christianity became the dominant religion.
  • He descended from the Greek god Zeus, and they share many characteristics.
  • Jupiter looked down on the world from above, and, like Zeus, he had many mistresses over the course of his long life, fathering a number of children.
  • Jupiter’s origins are a story of redemption. Saturn, his father, gobbled up each of his children as soon as they were born so that they would not grow up to take vengeance on him and his position as ruler of the gods according to Roman Mythology.
  • Ops, Jupiter’s mother, was heartbroken over the loss of her children.
  • In thoughts of saving Jupiter, she then outwitted Saturn by deceiving him into consuming a rock wrapped in cloth instead of Jupiter.
  • Saturn became ill after swallowing the rock, and he vomited up all the other children.
  • Jupiter, along with his siblings, were understandably irritated with their father, so they all overthrew him for his betrayal, thus fulfilling his worst fears. The siblings divided the universe amongst themselves, with Jupiter in command.

RELATION TO OTHER ROMAN GODS

  • Jupiter is the son of Saturn, the god of agriculture and Ops the goddess of wealth and abundance. 
  • He had five siblings named Juno (goddess of fertility), Vesta (goddess of hearth), Ceres (goddess of agriculture), Neptune (god of the sea) and Pluto (god of the underworld).
  • Jupiter is known to have several children with numerous wives. Juno and Ceres, his siblings, also had children with him.
  • He had numerous sexual relationships with mortals and immortals according to Roman mythology, which irritated his wife, Juno, and as a result, she would unexpectedly bestow punishments to both the wives and the resulting children.
  • Minerva, Juventia, Mars, and Vulcan were the children of Jupiter and Juno. Minerva is the goddess of knowledge, justice, law, and victory, as well as the patroness of the arts, trade, and strategy.
  • Mars is the god of war and guardian of agriculture; Juventia is the goddess of youth and rejuvenation. Lastly, Vulcan, god of both beneficial and hindering fire.
  • Jupiter and Ceres, on the other hand, gave birth to Proserpina (goddess of the masses). Finally, Jupiter and Semele, the mortal, had Bacchus, god of wine, insanity, and madness.
  • Jupiter was regarded as the greatest founding forefather by the Romans. Mars, his son, was the father of Romulus and Remus, who Romans associated with the founding of Rome.
  • As a result, Jupiter is their grandfather, and the first source spring from which all their fantastical stories arose.

ROLE OF JUPITER IN ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

  • In Roman mythology, he bargains with Numa Pompilius, Rome’s second king, to establish Roman religious principles such as offering or sacrifice. 
  • There are numerous ancient Roman tales involving Jupiter. For instance, Jupiter is frequently consulted for justice or assistance by mankind or lesser gods.
  • According to legend, Phaethon mishandled his father’s four-horse chariot, which was pulling the sun across the sky.
  • The world was being scorched by the sun’s immense heat, which also caused flames and vast deserts to form.
  • In a different myth that has a resemblance to the biblical account of the flood and Noah’s ark, it is said that Jupiter adopts human form at times to investigate the veracity of the tales of man’s sinfulness. He is horrified by the actions of humans, which led him to use a massive flood to exact revenge.
  • He was not only the protector deity but also one whose worship embodied a particular moral concept. He is extremely worried about oaths, treaties, and leagues, as well as the most ancient form of marriage, which took place in his presence.

SYMBOLISM AND POPULAR CULTURE

  • Jupiter is commonly thought to have begun as a sky god. The symbol thunderbolt is used as an identification of his weapon, the oak was his sacred tree, and his primary sacred animal is the eagle.
  • It took priority over other birds in the taking of auspices and became one of the most common Roman army symbols (Aquila).
  • As the god of the sky, he was a supreme witness to oaths, the sacred trust on which justice and good government depend. 
  • Many of his functions were centered on Capitoline Hill, which housed the citadel. Along with Juno and Minerva, he was the central guardian of the state in the Capitoline Triad. 
  • Every 13th of September, a festival honoring Jupiter Optimus Maximus, sometimes known as “the best and greatest of all the Jupiters,” takes place in Rome.
  • This matched the day on which specific Roman officials had assumed their positions and taken a unique oath. In appreciation for another year of protection, a white ox, which is rumored to be Jupiter’s favorite gift, was sacrificed. 
  • Then there was a feast. The Roman games were taking place at the same time as this celebration.
  • Jupiter’s effect on popular culture was still evident in the fields of art and literature centuries after he had ceased to be worshipped as a component of the Roman religion. 
  • His likeness is frequently shown in artworks from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; the literary expression “sub Iove” was used to denote “under the wide sky.”

Jupiter (Roman God) Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle that includes everything you need to know about Jupiter across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets that are perfect for teaching kids about Jupiter, who was the Roman god of sky and thunder.

Complete List of Included Worksheets

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

  1. Jupiter (Roman God) Facts
  2. Ancient Rome
  3. Olympus Gods
  4. The Great Sire
  5. The King’s Throne
  6. Commemorative Coin
  7. A Poem Fit for a King
  8. The Mega-Planet
  9. Jupiter and Zeus
  10. Being a Leader
  11. Quick Review

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Roman god Jupiter do?

The Roman gods included Jupiter, the son of Saturn. He was the most powerful god and was responsible for thunder, lightning, and storms. The first citizens of Rome believed they were watched over by the spirits of their ancestors. They also added a triad of gods to these spirits, among them Jupiter.

How did Jupiter become a god?

Jupiter was named king of the gods in a meeting that followed his overthrow of Saturn and the Titans. In the council of the gods that followed, Jupiter was crowned Lord of Heaven and Earth and of all the gods.

What is the Greek name for Jupiter?

Zeus is the equivalent of Jupiter in Greek Mythology. They share the same features and characteristics. The Romans, being impressed by Jupiter’s prominence, named the largest planet in the solar system after him.

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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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