Aius Locutius – heavenly voice

Aius Locutius is a mysterious deity of unknown origin and appearance. In Roman mythology, it appears only once and in the form of a voice.

Etymology of the name

The meaning of the name Aius Locutius can be translated literally as: Speaking/Speaking. Latin words are related to the name of the god: aio and loquor – to say/say.

God’s manifestation

The story begins in 391 BCE on Via Nova in Rome. A Roman citizen named Ceditus was walking in this area at night. While walking, he heard a voice. A mysterious voice called him to warn the Romans about the upcoming Gaul attack. Ceditus complied with this request, but no one took his words seriously. The warning was not heeded and, as a result, the Gauls invaded Rome in 390 BC. The attack was repelled, but the city suffered much damage. After the attack, the Romans remembered the entire previous event. The dictator Marcus Furius Camillus and the senate offered the god an altar on Via Nova at the foot of the Palatine Hill, in the place where the deity spoke for the first and last time. With this gesture, they wanted to express remorse for not listening to the divine prophecy.

The story of Aius Locutius is a mysterious myth, not only having a motive for the tragic fulfilment of a prophecy. Aius Locutius as a god is very different from other Roman and Italian gods. Nothing is known about his appearance, his “being” is defined only by his voice. Still, the reveal of a god was something extraordinary, unusual. Roman gods, compared to Greek gods, do not reveal themselves to people. They communicated their will only through various signs and oracles. This exception is Aius Locutius, a deity shrouded in mystery forever.