Mellona

Ancient Roman goddess

For the moth genus, see Mellona (moth).

Look up Mellona in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Mellona or Mellonia was an ancient Roman goddess said by St. Augustine to promote the supply of honey (Latin mel, mellis) as Pomona did for apples and Bubona for cattle. [1] Arnobius describes her as "a goddess important and powerful regarding bees, taking care of and protecting the sweetness of honey."[2]

W.H. Roscher includes Mellona among the indigitamenta, the list of deities maintained by Roman priests to assure that the correct divinity was invoked for rituals.[3]

## See also

[edit]

* Ah-Muzen-Cab, Mayan god of bees
* Aristaeus, ancient Greek god of bees
* Austėja, Lithuanian goddess of bees
* Bee (mythology)
* Bhramari, Hindu goddess of bees
* Bubilas, Lithuanian god of bees
* Colel Cab, Mayan goddess of bees
* Melissa, ancient Greek/Minoan nymph/goddess of bees

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Augustine, De civitate Dei 4.34; Hendrik Wagenvoort, "Diva Angerona," in Pietas: Selected Studies in Roman Religion (Brill, 1980), p. 22.
2. ^ Arnobius, Adversus Nationes, IV. 7 (Mellonia dea est pollens potensque in apibus, mellis curans custodiensque dulcedinem) and 8.
3. ^ W.H. Roscher, Ausführliches Lexikon der griechischen und römischen Mythologie (Leipzig: Teubner, 1890–94), vol. 2, pt. 1, p. 203.

* v
* t
* e

Religion in ancient Rome

Practices and beliefs|

* Libation
* Sacrifice
* Vota
* Temples
* Festivals
* Ludi
* Funerals
* Imperial cult
* Greco-Roman mysteries

Priesthoods|

* Pontifices
* Augures
* Vestal Virgins
* Flamines
* Fetiales
* Epulones
* Fratres Arvales
* Salii

Deities|

* List of Roman deities
* Twelve major gods
* Capitoline Triad
* Aventine Triad
* Underworld gods
* Indigitamenta

Deified leaders|

* Divus Julius
* Divus Augustus

Related topics|

* Glossary of ancient Roman religion
* Roman mythology
* Ancient Greek religion
* Etruscan mythology
* Gallo-Roman religion
* Interpretatio graeca
* Decline of Greco-Roman polytheism

This article relating to an ancient Roman myth or legend is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template