This transformation had its beginning with the first
Macedonian war (about 200 B.C.), and continued until the end of the
empire.
CHANGES IN RELIGION
=The Greek Gods.=--The Roman gods bore but a slight resemblance to the
Greek gods, even in name; yet in the majority of the divinities of
Rome the Greeks recognized or believed they recognized their own. The
Roman gods up to that time had neither precise form nor history; this
rendered confusion all the easier. Every Roman god was represented
under the form of a Greek god and a history was made of the adventures
of this god.
The Latin Jupiter was confounded with the Greek Zeus; Juno with Hera;
Minerva, the goddess of memory, with Pallas, goddess of wisdom; Diana,
female counterpart of Janus, unites with Artemis, the brilliant
huntress; Hercules, the god of the enclosure, was assimilated to
Herakles, the victor over monsters. Thus Greek mythology insinuated
itself under Latin names, and the gods of Rome found themselves
transformed into Greek gods. The fusion was so complete that we have
preserved the custom of designating the Greek gods by their Latin
names; we still call Artemis Diana, and Pallas Minerva.
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