In ancient Roman religion, Ops or Opis (Latin: "Plenty") was a fertility deity and earth goddess of Sabine origin. Her equivalent in Greek mythology was Rhea.
Iconography
In Ops's statues and coins, she is figured sitting down, as
chthonic deities normally are, and generally holds a
scepter, or a
wheat and
cornucopia. In Roman mythology the husband of Ops was Saturn.
Ops is identified as Rhea in Greek mythology, whose husband was
Cronus, the bountiful monarch of the
golden age; Cronus was Rhea's brother.
Name
In Latin writings of the time, the singular
nominative case (
Ops) is not attested; only the form
Opis is used by classical authors. According to Festus (203:19), "
Ops is said to be the consort of Saturn by whom they wanted to signify the earth, because the earth distributes all wealth to the human genus." (
Opis dicta est coniux Saturni per quam uolerunt terram significare, quia omnes opes humano generi terra tribuit).
The Latin word ops means "riches, goods, abundance, gifts, munificence, plenty".
Worship
According to Roman tradition, the cult of Opis was instituted by
Titus Tatius, one of the Sabine kings of Rome. Opis soon became the matron of riches, abundance, and prosperity. Opis had a famous temple in the
Capitoline Triad. Originally, a festival took place in Opis's honor on August 10. Additionally, on December 19
(some say December 9), the
Opiconsivia was celebrated. On August 25, the
Opiconsivia was held. Opiconsivia was another name used for Opis, indicating when the earth was sown. These festivals also included activities that were called
Consualia, in honor of Consus, her
king consort.
Mythology and literature
She is remembered in
De Mulieribus Claris, a collection of biographies of historical and mythological women by the
Florence author Giovanni Boccaccio, composed in 1361–1362. It is notable as the first collection devoted exclusively to biographies of women in Western literature.
Primary sources
-
Boccaccio, Giovanni. (1362) De mulieribus claris.
-
Livy Ab urbe condita libri XXIX.10.4–11.8, 14.5–14
-
Lactantius, Divinae institutions I.13.2–4, 14.2–5
Secondary sources
-
Virginia Brown's translation of Giovanni Boccaccio's Famous Women, pp. 12–13; Harvard University Press 2001;
External links
