Penates
Publié le 22/02/2012
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Roman Each household had two Penates,
spirits or gods who protected the family storeroom.
These were family gods, honored at dinnertime when
people gave part of every meal to them, pushing part
of the dinner—not merely the leftovers—into the
family fire. Guarding the pantry was a critical job
in the early Roman agricultural society, and people
worshiped their Penates in private, often around
the hearth where they cooked their food. While the
Penates watched over the food supply, the Lares
watched over the general well-being of the house.