The centre of religion in the roman house was the lararium or household shrine. Situated in the atrium, the historical heart of the roman household, it was the centre of family worship.
The lararium was specifically dedicated to the house’s patron spirits the Lares, Penates and the genius of the house. The origins of these deities were obscure and their functions overlapped each other. Each, however, was deemed vital to the well being and prosperity of the house and all those within it, slave or free.
The Lararium
The lararium was the shrine to the household gods. Usually it was situated in the atrium, the traditional centre of the house and original site of the hearth that was the centre of domestic religious life. Quite often, there was a lararium in the kitchen for the use of the household slaves.
On three days of the month, family anniversaries and the birthday of the master of the house, the lararium was spread with special offerings of flowers, perfume, honey, wine and cakes. These offerings were made to deities specific to the household; the genius, di Penates and the household Lares.
The Roman Genius
The genius was the divine spirit of the Pater familias of the Roman household. The mistress of the house had a corresponding spirit, known as the Juno. Both were represented as snakes on the lararium. The genius was depicted as bearded.
The genius was invoked during family oaths and was made offerings, specifically on the birthday of the master of the house.
Di Penates
Commonly regarded as the guardians of the store cupboard, the Penates were more properly the guardians of the heart of the home. The Penates were worshipped by members of the family, who these spirits were pledged to protect. Household slaves did not fall under the protection of Di Penates.
Before each meal began, some of the food was placed on a special dish or patera and formally offered to the Penates. Alternatively, it was cast into the fire. All would remain silent until a slave declared the gods to be satisfied. Only then would the meal begin.
The personalities of the Penates were obscure and often indistinguishable from the Lares. By Imperial times, however, it became popular to adopt particular gods from the wider Roman pantheon as household Penates. In their capacity of guardians of the household’s family, these gods took on specific characteristics. For instance, Mars abandoned his warlike aspect and became instead the defender and protector of the family.
Lars Familiaris or Lares
Unlike the Penates, the Lares offered protection to every member of the house, whether slave or free. They were represented as two figures on the lararium.
The Lares were the first entities the Pater familias would greet on his return home. It was traditional to make offerings of milk to them, as well as garlands on special occasion. Any food dropped on the floor was also property of the Lares.
The origins of the Lares are obscure and were debated even in ancient times. Some felt they had their roots in ghosts or ancestral spirits. Ghosts were supposed to haunt the floor, which would explain why any dropped food was always left for them. Also, like ghosts, the Lares had to be pacified to ensure the safety of the household. At the festival of the Compitalia, a puppet was hung up to represent each family member and a ball for each slave, the idea being the Lares took the replicas and spared the living.
It is more likely that the Lares represented the spirits of the place the house was built on. Originally, Lares were worshipped at the junctions between neighbouring farms. In the urban setting, this tradition continued at the crossroads between city districts. Lares then, were the guardian entities of any area of land where humans were active.
Sources:
Pompeii: A Sourcebook (2004) Alison E Cooley and M.G.L Cooley. Routledge: London and New York
Archaic Roman religion Vol 1 & 2 (1996) by George Dumezil. The John Hopkins University press Ltd: Baltimore and London
