Fides
This goddess personified trust, good faith, and keeping one’s word. Her presence ensured contracts were honored, alliances held strong, and promises remained true.
Symbols: Laurel wreath, turtle dove and veil.
She was depicted as a young woman, her brow adorned with a crown of olive or laurel, symbolizing peace and victory. In her hands, she might cradle a gentle dove, representing harmony, or fruits and grain, emblems of prosperity. Sometimes, she’d even hold a military standard, a reminder of loyalty and duty. Draped in a white veil, a symbol of purity, Fides embodied everything essential for honor and trustworthiness.
Her influence extended far and wide. From the fidelity expected in marriage to the binding force of contracts, Fides ensured people kept their word. Even the unwavering loyalty soldiers owed to Rome fell under her domain. She was the very foundation of trust, the bedrock upon which relationships, communities, and even the Roman legal system thrived. This is why her temple served as a repository for bronze tablets inscribed with laws and treaties, a testament to her role as the guardian of promises and agreements.
Digital Maps of the Ancient World 