Page:Greek and Roman Mythology.djvu/175

 THE ROMAN GODS 161 The mightiest phenomenon that takes place in the atmosphere is the thunderstorm ; therefore Juppiter, to whose agency this was traced, like Zeus among the Greeks, was considered the most powerful god, who held everything else under his sway. He carried the lightning as his weapon, and in the earliest times in particular forms of worship was even called by the name Fulgur (' light- ning '). He was the giver of signs by means of lightning and by birds, the observation and the interpretation of which was the duty of the college of priests called Augurs. He also sent the fructifying thundershowers, and in times of prolonged drouth was invoked under the name Elicius (' the one that entices forth ' the rain). At the same time he came to be considered as the giver of fruitfulness and of luxuriant plenteousness, whose chief characteristic was Liberdlitds (' generosity 7 ). When so regarded he enjoyed the epithet Liber. The celebration of the festivals relating to the culture of the vine was in his honor, viz. the Vmalia Eustica on the 19th of August, the Meditrmdlia on the llth of October, and the Vmalia on the 23d of April ; agriculture, cattle-raising, and young people just getting their growth were under his protection ; and a chapel of Juventas (' youth ') was ac- cordingly located in his temple on the Capitoline hill. 208. On the other hand the phenomena of the thun- derstorm that threaten men with danger and destruc- tion were ascribed to a divinity that was distinguished from Juppiter, viz. Vejovis or Vedjovis, i.e. the evil Juppiter. His sanctuary was situated between the two summits of the Capitoline. He was represented as a youth with a bunch of thunderbolts or arrows in his hand.