Numa Pompilius
The second king of Rome Numa Pompilius was known for his wisdom, piety and peaceful attitude. According to tradition, he initiated the state cult of gods in Rome, created the so-called Capitoline Triad assigning priests for Jupiter (flamen dialis), Mars (flamen Martialis) and Quirinus (flamen Quirinalis).
Among other things, he introduced the cult of Vesta, the goddess of the hearth, for whom he built a temple. Interestingly, he was also supposed to introduce a law allowing fathers to sell their sons into slavery. We cannot decide whether King Numa Pompilius was a historical or a legendary figure.
Sources
- Krawczuk Aleksander (red.), Wielka Historia Świata, tom 3
- Piszczek Z. (red.), Mała encyklopedia kultury antycznej A-Z, Warszawa 1983
