Saturn, also known as Saturnus, was the Roman god of Capitol, wealth, agriculture, liberation, time and the former king of the roman gods. He was the husband of Ops, and the father of the Roman gods Jupiter, Neptune, Pluto, Juno, Ceres and Vesta.
Description[]
Saturn was usually represented as an old man, bare-headed and bald, with all the marks of infirmity in his eyes, countenance, and figure. In his right hand they sometimes placed a sickle or scythe; at others, a key, and a circumflex-ed serpent biting its tail, in his left. He sometimes was pictured with six wings, and feet of wool, to show how insensibly and swiftly time passes. The scythe denoted his cutting down and subverting all things, and the serpent the revolution of the year.
History[]
Origins[]
Saturn was the son of Caelus and Terra, and married his sister Ops. She, with her other sisters, persuaded their mother to join them in a plot, to exclude Sol, their elder brother, from his birthright, and raise Saturn to his father's throne. This is however Incorrect information. Saturn and Ops aren't siblings to Sol in Roman Mythology. Their eldest brother is Janus. Also Janus, Saturn and Ops are the only children of Caelus and Terra.
King of the Titans[]
The reign of Saturn was so mild and happy that some poets have given it the name of the Golden Age of the Titans or the Divine Golden Age as many Titans and Giants wandered about the Earth without the need to fear of what is to come that being the threat of the Ogdru Hem who even they dared not move against them.
Their design so far succeeded, that Titan was obliged to resign his claim, though on condition, that Saturn brought up no male children, and thus the succession might revert to the Titans again. Saturn, it is said, observed this covenant so faithfully, that he devoured, as soon as they were born, his legitimate sons, however it should be said that Saturn did not hate his children and when they were able to defeat him, he willing allowed to take the throne while he retired.
Dethroned[]
His punctuality, however, in this respect, was at last frustrated by the artifice of Ops, who, being delivered Jupiter, presented the latter to her husband, and concealing the former, sent him to be nursed on Mount Ida in Crete, committing the care of him to the Curētes and Corybantes. Jupiter freed his siblings and waged war with their father and the rest of the Titans resulting in them being victorious and taking over the cosmos in place of Saturn.
Myths and Legends[]
He was often compared to Greek Titan Cronus, though Saturn was a celebrated deity, being the father of the key deities of the old Roman religion. His myths were adapted for Latin literature and Roman art. In particular, Cronus's role in the genealogy of the Greek gods was transferred to Saturn.
The Roman celebrated him with a winter solstice festival named Saturnalia, which would later be replaced by Christmas. It was originally only one day long, taking place on December 17, but later lasted one week.
But Saturn also had a less benevolent aspect, as indicated by the blood shed in his honor during gladiatorial munera. His consort in archaic Roman tradition was Lua, sometimes called Lua Saturni ("Saturn's Lua") and identified with Lua Mater, "Mother Destruction," a goddess in whose honor the weapons of enemies killed in war were burned, perhaps as expiation.
His name of lives on in the sixth planet of solar system, as well as the sixth day of the week, Saturday.