Lares
Lares were Roman deities or guardian spirits of place, house, crossroads, community and family. In domestic cult the most common term is Lares familiares: they protected the household and its people, and in the lararium they could be shown beside the genius of the head of the family and the Penates.
Lara and the genius. Fresco from Pompeii (Insula VIII,2,lararium). Inv. no. 8905. Naples,National Archaeological Museum. 69-79 ADSmall Lares and everyday cult
In a practical sense the "small Lares" are close household protectors rather than great Olympian or Capitoline gods. Their worship was simple, regular and familial: small offerings, prayers, participation in festivals and transitional moments of life.
Images
In Pompeian frescoes Lares are often shown as two dancing figures with a rhyton and bowl. This iconography underlines the sacrificial and festive character of domestic cult.
Additional sources and visual checks
The Lares are read through domestic cult, crossroads, dancing figures and their relation to the genius of the household head. The gallery shows Pompeian material where such figures appear in lararium context.
For source checks: - Archaeological Park of Pompeii - Arachne database, German Archaeological Institute - Getty Museum collection
Related topics
Genius loci and Lara. Often the central priest is interpreted as a pontiff. Fresco in the lararium of the House of Vettii in Pompeii,House of Vettii. A.D. 60-79Lara and the genius. Fresco from Pompeii (Insula VIII,2,lararium). Inv. no. 8905. Naples,National Archaeological Museum. 69-79 AD
Roman fresco from the lararium of the house of Polybius. Pompeii. 1st century ADInterested in Ancient Rome beyond reading? Join Legio X Fretensis or explore our reenactment directions. Reenactment
