| rdfs:comment | - The lares had many specific functions based on their roles
* Lares Augusti: associated with the first day of August and thus the initiation of magistracies and Emperor Augustus
* Lares Compitales/Compitalicii: associated with their local neighbourhood. Their shrines were usually located at crossroads
* Lares Domestici/Familiares: lares of the house and household
* Lares Militaris: who protected common soldiers. Gladiators would sometimes have small statuettes to make offerings to
* Lares Permarini: who protected seafarers and mariners
* Lares Rurales: lares who protected fields and farms
* Lares Viales: lares who protected roads and travelers
- Lares (pronounced: ˈlɑːriːz, singular: Lar) – or archaically, Lases – were guardian deities]] in ancient Roman mythology and religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries or fruitfulness, hero-ancestors, or an amalgam of these.
- The most well known Lares are the Lares Familiares - the guardian deities who protect the household and its members. They are commonly appealed to for the safety and prosperity of the household. The origins of the Lares are unclear, some may be considered to be descended from Gods (for example, the Lares Compitales are, according to Ovid, descended from Mercury) and/or nymphs (regional nature spirits), while others may be considered to be ancestors of the people who traditionally lived on the land over which the Lares guard. Either way, the Lares are intricately tied up with their particular geographic regions - in ancient Rome the Lares connected with property were implicitly sold upon the sale of the property over which they watched.
- Lares were believed to watch, defend, and influence everything that happened inside the boundaries of their location or function. Lares are classified as household gods, but it should be noted that some had much broader domains. Roadways, seaways, agriculture, livestock, towns, cities, the state, and its military were all under the protection of their particular Lar or Lares. In spite of official bans on non-Christian cults from the late 4th century AD onwards, unofficial cults to Lares continued until at least the early 5th century AD.
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| abstract | - Lares were believed to watch, defend, and influence everything that happened inside the boundaries of their location or function. Lares are classified as household gods, but it should be noted that some had much broader domains. Roadways, seaways, agriculture, livestock, towns, cities, the state, and its military were all under the protection of their particular Lar or Lares. When compared to Rome's major deities, the scope and power of Lares were restricted but important, peculiarly for Roman objects of cult. Archaeological and literary evidence confirms their central role in Roman identity and religious life throughout the Republic and empire. By analogy, a homeward-bound Roman could be described as returning ad Larem (to the Lar). In spite of official bans on non-Christian cults from the late 4th century AD onwards, unofficial cults to Lares continued until at least the early 5th century AD.
- The most well known Lares are the Lares Familiares - the guardian deities who protect the household and its members. They are commonly appealed to for the safety and prosperity of the household. The origins of the Lares are unclear, some may be considered to be descended from Gods (for example, the Lares Compitales are, according to Ovid, descended from Mercury) and/or nymphs (regional nature spirits), while others may be considered to be ancestors of the people who traditionally lived on the land over which the Lares guard. Either way, the Lares are intricately tied up with their particular geographic regions - in ancient Rome the Lares connected with property were implicitly sold upon the sale of the property over which they watched. The shrine to the Lares, now conventionally called a lararium, is often a focal point for the Religio Romana. Offerings to the Lares should be made at least once a month on the kalends, if not also on the ides and the nones. Many people make offerings daily.
- The lares had many specific functions based on their roles
* Lares Augusti: associated with the first day of August and thus the initiation of magistracies and Emperor Augustus
* Lares Compitales/Compitalicii: associated with their local neighbourhood. Their shrines were usually located at crossroads
* Lares Domestici/Familiares: lares of the house and household
* Lares Militaris: who protected common soldiers. Gladiators would sometimes have small statuettes to make offerings to
* Lares Permarini: who protected seafarers and mariners
* Lares Rurales: lares who protected fields and farms
* Lares Viales: lares who protected roads and travelers
- Lares (pronounced: ˈlɑːriːz, singular: Lar) – or archaically, Lases – were guardian deities]] in ancient Roman mythology and religion. Their origin is uncertain; they may have been guardians of the hearth, fields, boundaries or fruitfulness, hero-ancestors, or an amalgam of these. Lares were believed to observe, protect and influence all that happened within the boundaries of their location or function. The statues of domestic Lares were placed at table during family meals; their presence, cult and blessing seem to have been required at all important family events. Roman writers sometimes identify or conflate them with ancestor-deities, domestic Penates and the hearth. As a result of these associations, Lares are sometimes categorised as household gods but some had much broader domains. Roadways, seaways, agriculture, livestock, towns, cities, the state and its military were all under the protection of their particular Lar or Lares. Those who protected local neighbourhoods (vici) were housed in the crossroad shrines (Compitales) which served as a focus for the religious, social and political life of their local, overwhelmingly plebeian communities. Their cult officials included freedmen and slaves, otherwise excluded by status or property qualification from most administrative and religious offices. Compared to Rome's major deities, the scope and potency of Lares were limited but they were important, peculiarly Roman objects of cult. Archaeological and literary evidence attests to their central role in Roman identity and religious life throughout the Republic and empire. By analogy, a homeward-bound Roman could be described as returning ad Larem (to the Lar). Despite official bans on non-Christian cults from the late 4th century CE onwards, unofficial cults to Lares persisted until at least the early 5th century CE.
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