What is Lares?
{{dablink|This page is about the Roman household deities. For the Puerto Rican town, see [[Lares, Puerto Rico]].}} '''Lares''' (pl.)<ref>also called ''Genii loci'' or, more archaically, '''Lases'''</ref> were ancient [[Roman Empire|Roman]] [[deity|deities]] who protected the house and the family - household gods. See also [[Genius (mythology)|Genius]], [[Larvae]], [[Di Penates]], [[Manes]]. Lares are presumed sons of [[Mercury (mythology)|Mercury]] and [[Lara (mythology)|Lara]], and deeply venerated by ancient Romans through small statues, usually put in higher places of the house, far from the floor, or even on the roof. In the early Roman times, in every house there was at least one little statue. Later, a sort of confusion connected their figure with those of [[Manes]], deities of [[Hades]] (and the most virtuous dead persons of the family). Finally the confusion included the [[Penates]] (other minor deities) as well. ==Related pages== * [[Turan (goddess)|Turan]], the Etruscan love goddess == References == {{reflist}} {{Roman myth (major)}} {{multistub|religion|Europe}} [[Category:Roman gods and goddesses]]