Portunus was the ancient Roman god of keys, doors, livestock and ports.

"They have in England certain demons, though I know not whether I should call them demons or figures of a secret and unknown generation, which the French call Neptunes, the English Portunes.

Feb 25, 2024 · In his early thirteenth century collection, Otia Imperalia, the English scholar Gervase of Tilbury drew attention to various creatures of English folklore. These include a familiar description of mermaids alongside two rather more mysterious beings …

Despite not being one of the major deities, Portunes could still be a powerful figure in a historical game set in the Roman Empire, or a fantasy game drawing on Classical Mythology. Sailors might pray or sacrifice to Portunes for a safe voyage and especially a safe return home.

Or Portumnus, the protecting genius of harbors among the Romans. He was invoked to grant a happy return from a voyage. Hence a temple was erected to him at the port of the Tiber, from whence the road descended to the port of Ostia. At his temple an annual festival, the Portunalia, was celebrated on the 17th of August.

The Temple of Portunus (Italian: Tempio di Portuno) is an ancient Roman temple in Rome, Italy. It was built beside the Forum Boarium, the Roman cattle market associated with Hercules, which was adjacent to Rome's oldest river port (Portus Tiberinus) and the oldest stone bridge across the Tiber River, the Pons Aemilius.

Portunus was the ancient Roman god of keys, doors, livestock and ports. He may have originally protected the warehouses where grain was stored, but later became associated with ports, perhaps because of folk associations between porta "gate, door" and portus "harbor", the "gateway" to the sea, or because of an expansion in the meaning of portus.

Portunes. Gallery References and sources References Sources External links. Portunus was the ancient Roman god of keys, doors, livestock and ports. He may have originally protected the warehouses where grain was stored, but later became associated with ports, ...

Portunes. In Roman mythology, Portunes (alternatively spelled "Portumnes" or "Portunus") was a god of keys and doors and livestock. He protected the warehouses where grain was stored.

As the twelve other deities which each has his own flamen, Portunus is a local god of Rome and certainly a river god. He shares some characteristics with Janus, the god of the house-doors ("janua"), while "porta" is rather gate, or town-doors.