Roman Mythology

Latins, Etruscans, and Archaic Rome

Who were the Latins, and what was the basis of their mythology?

The so-called Latins were several tribes who spoke a form of Latin, an Indo-European language, and lived along the Tiber River in an area known as Old Latium from early in the first millennium B.C.E. The primary god of the Latins was Jupiter Latiaris. Also important was Diana Aricana, who eventually was reduced in stature under the dominance of Jupiter.