Statue of Minerva, from the temple of the goddess, in the Imperial Fora (Fori Imperiali), Rome, dating to between 81 and 98 A.D.
Minerva was the goddess who protected the manual and intellectual skills, and who formed, together with Iuppiter and Iuno, the divine triad worshipped on the Capitoline Hill. The representation of the goddess is influenced in a remarkable way by the Greek iconographic pattern of the goddess Athena, with whom Minerva was identified. This pattern comprises the warrior helmet, the shield and the spear. The goddess was venerated throughout Italy and sometimes assumed different functions in diverse localities. For example, on the Esquiline she was worshiped as patroness of physicians (Minerva Medica). In the Augustan era, the celebration of her feast, which was held during the Ides of March (from 19 to 23 of the month), included the performances of gladiators and the ritual purification of the war trumpets (tubilustrium). This aspect confirms the goddess’s association with warfare and military activities (Girard 2005).


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