Egeria, Law Giver of Rome

In his book, Lord of the Four Quarters, Myths of the Royal Father, John Perry writes, "There is evidence in many parts of the world..., the council or assembly of elders of a tribe, served as the governing body for a Divine Woman or Queen who personified the Great Mother and presided over a matrilineal society. The early king of such cultures ruled, not in his own right, but in his capacity as consort to the Divine Woman."

In the case of early Rome, the Divine Woman was the Goddess Egeria (source). She counseled and guided the legendary second king of Rome, Numa Pompilius (Latin numen designates "the expressed will of a deity"), during his reign from 715 - 673 BCE (source). She gave Numa the laws and rituals of Rome. She was also an oracle, and is sometimes described as a nymph, possibly due to her association with water. Egeria's spring, once surrounded by a sacred grove, is located close to Porta Capena gate to Rome. Its waters were dedicated to the exclusive use of the Vestals.

Egeria, giving the Laws of Rome to Numa. Original painting available through Saatchi Art. Stickers, prints, and other merch available in shop or through RedBubble or Fine Art America.

Nymphaeum of Egeria at Egeria's spring, Rome

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Echoing Multiverse

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