Saturn (mythology)

Saturnus, Caravaggio, 16th c.

Saturn (Latin: Saturnus) was a major Roman deity holding jurisdiction over agriculture and harvest. Like many of the Roman mythological figures, Saturn was appropriated from the Greek tradition, and so his mythology is commonly mixed with that of Cronus, the god of the harvest in the Greek pantheon from whom he was adapted. Much like Cronus, Saturn also fell from his position of divine supremacy in Roman mythology. However, unlike Cronus, Saturn maintained his significance in the popular religion due mainly to the Saturnalia festival centered upon him, far exceeding the measure of esteem Cronus ever enjoyed among the Greeks.

Origins

The origins of the theonym Saturn and the nature of the earliest forms of the god are not altogether clear. While numerous authors both ancient and modern have suggested that the name derived from the the verb sero/satum, "to sow", bearing an obvious agriculture connection, others have disagreed . The name more likely derives from the Estrucan Satre, which referred to a god of the underworld who was responsible for funereal matters. This etymology is supported by the fact that it would parallels the origin of other Latin names whose names end in -urnus, -arnus, and -erna which also demonstrably derived from Etruscan roots such as Volturnus and Mastarna, among others. . If this is indeed the case, then Saturn may have originally been a chthonic deity linked to funerary rites. This possibility seems likely, considering that Saturn has often been connected to Roman munera, gladiatorial combat of Etruscan derivation which were originally held to celebrate the funerals of patricians . Later on, after the Romans invaded Greece in 146 B.C.E. and subsequently began to acknowledge the Greek myths as their own, Saturn became virtually indistinguishable from Cronus.

Mythology

Just like Cronus in Greek mythology, Saturn was the son of the supreme sky god (Caelus; Greek Uranus) and the earth mother (Tellus; Greek Gaia). Just with the Greek Uranus, Caelus's reign was marked by tyranny, and so Saturn overthrew him, thereby supplanting him as the supreme deity. However, it was foretold that one day a mighty son of Saturn would in turn overthrow him, and in order to prevent this from occurring, Saturn devoured all of his children by his wife Ops, a goddess of fertility and the earth (equivalent to the Greek Rhea), as soon as they were born. Among these children were Ceres (goddess of plants), Veritas (goddess of truth), Vesta (goddess of the hearth and home), Pluto (god of the underworld), Neptune (god of the waters), and Juno (eventual queen of the gods). Ops hid her sixth child, Jupiter and offered Saturn a large stone wrapped in swaddling clothes in his place. Saturn promptly swallowed the stone, and was forced to disgorge each of his children in the process of ridding it from his digestive system. Jupiter later returned to overthrow Saturn, becoming the new supreme ruler of the cosmos. Defeated, Saturn fled away from Jupiter to Latium, where he was taken in by the the god Janus. Here Saturn introduced agriculture and viniculture to the people of Italy. By doing so, Saturn ushered in a period of great peace and contentment throughout the Roman empire called the Golden Age over which he ruled. During this period of time, all men were equal, with no social distinctions made between classes. This notion that he ruled over the Golden Age after his usurpation as king of the gods is a Roman extrapolation upon the Greek myth.

In congruence with new techniques Saturn taught the people of Latium, he was construed as a harvest deity, overseeing grain, agriculture and nature in general. Fittingly, his symbol was the sickle, which he carried in many depictions. His association with the Golden Age lead him to become linked with the progression of time as it related to humans. This gave him special jurisdiction over calendars and the seasons, as well as significant events, most notably the harvests.

Worship

The most famous temple to Saturn was located in the heart of the Forum Romanum, the heart of commerce and beauracracy for Romans. This temple contained the Royal Treasury. The stature of Saturn here was bound by ropes throughout the year.

Saturnalia, one of the most popular public festivals in ancient Rome, celebrated the dedication of this temple. This festival also served to commemorate the mythical Golden Age. In order to recreate the harmonious spirit of the time when Saturn ruled, distinctions between master and slave were ignored for the duration of Saturnalia, much as they were during the festival of Kronia in which the Greeks honoured Cronus. Thus, all wore the pileus, the hat of the freeman, during this holiday. In fact, during the great feast which formed the culmination of the festival, slaves were allowed to sit along with their masters, who would sometimes go so far as to actually wait upon their slaves themselves. marking a complete reversal of roles. Furthermore, rules of etiquette were ignored. For instance, the traditional white toga that Roman citizens wore around their body was given up in favour of a coloured cloth. Preexisting bans on gambling were lifted throughout Rome, and dice games took place in the streets. In spite of the temporary legality of the gambling, participants in these games did not play for gold but instead for nuts, so that no one would suffer as a result of losses. A "king" was crowned from among the commoners by way of a dice-roll; over the course of Saturnalia this ruler possessed the power to demand assorted silliness from his subjects. Saturnalia also involved the exchange of gifts, with both the poor and the rich giving and receiving. All in all, the holiday was marked by widespread merry-making and lechery. Saturnalia took place around the time of the winter solstice. It originally lasted for only a day, taking place on December 17, but was later extended over a whole week. During this time the ropes that bound the statue of Saturn during the rest of the year were untied.

Legacy

Saturn has had a lasting impact upon Western culture. Most notably, he is the namesake of Saturday (dies Saturni), the seventh day of the Judaeo-Christian week, which was originally referred to in Latin as Dies Saturni or the "Day of Saturn"), and was in turn adapted and became the source of the English word Saturday. This stands as the only day of the week to retain its Roman name in English. Also, the phrase referring to a "Saturnalia of crime" takes root from the aforementioned festival and the chaotic indulgence it entailed. In astronomy, Saturn, the sixth planet from the sun is also named after the Roman god. In classical antiquity, it was considered the furthest planet of the seven seven heavenly objects that are visible with the naked eye, thereby corresponding to the seventh day of the week. Moreover, some have entertained the theory that Saturnalia may have influenced the development of Christmas, as both occur in late December and involve the exchange of gifts.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bettini, Maurizio. "Iacta alea est: Saturn and the Saturnalia" in Saturn: From Antiquity to the Renaissance. Ed. Massimo Ciavolella and Amilcare A. Iannucci. Toronto: Dovehouse Editions, 1992. 23-36. ISBN 1-895537-01-0
• Guastella, Gianni. "Saturn, Lord of the Golden Age" in Saturn: From Antiquity to the Renaissance. Ed. Massimo Ciavolella and Amilcare A. Iannucci. Toronto: Dovehouse Editions, 1992. 1-22.
• Lenardon, Robert J, et al. "A Companion to Classical Mythology" Oxford University Press, 1996. ISBN 978-0195147254
• Lindemans, Micha F. "Saturn." Encyclopedia Mythica from Encyclopedia Mythica Online.

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/s/saturn.html [Accessed May 7, 2007].

• Morford, Mark P. O. & Lenardon, Robert J. "Classical Mythology" Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 978-0195153446
• Osborn, Kevin. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Classical Mythology" Alpha, 1998. ISBN 978-0028623856
• Pucci, Giuseppe. "Roman Saturn: The Shady Side" in Saturn: From Antiquity to the Renaissance. Ed. Massimo Ciavolella and Amilcare A. Iannucci. Toronto: Dovehouse Editions, 1992. 37-50.

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