Editing Virtus (deity)

{{short description|Roman deity}}
{{other uses|Virtus (disambiguation)}}
[[Image:Tetricus-virtus.png|thumb|right|150px|Gallic coin featuring Virtus]]
[[Image:Virginia 4-Dollars 1776 obv.jpg|thumb|U.S. [[Continental (currency)|Continental currency]] Virginia four-dollar note of 1776 (obverse) with Virtus at the left]]

In [[ancient Roman religion]], '''Virtus''' ({{IPA|la|ˈwɪrtuːs̠}}) was the deity of bravery and military strength, the personification of the Roman virtue of [[virtus (virtue)|virtus]].  The [[Greek mythology|Greek]] equivalent deity was [[Arete (moral virtue)#Personification|Arete]].<ref>[[J. Rufus Fears]], "The Theology of Victory at Rome: Approaches and Problem," ''Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt'' II.17.2 (1981), pp. 747–748, 776 (note 201).</ref> The deity was often associated with the Roman god [[Honos]] (personification of honour) and was often honoured together with him, such as in the [[Temple of Virtus and Honos]] at the [[Porta Capena]] in [[Rome]]. It was after the conquest of Syracuse in 205 that the Virtus portion of the temple was added, and in such a way that one had to enter the temple of Virtus before Honos, symbolizing that honor cannot be obtained without military success.<ref>Bieber, Margarete. “Honos and Virtus.” ''American Journal of Archaeology'', vol. 49, no. 1, 1945, pp. 25–34. ''JSTOR'', <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.2307/499937</nowiki>. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.</ref>

The deity was represented in a variety of ways, for example, on the coins of [[Tetricus I|Tetricus]], they could appear as a matron, an old man, or a young man, with a [[javelin]], battle helmet, or only clothed in a cape. Within the realm of funerary reliefs Virtus is never shown without a male companion.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hansen|first=L|title=MUSES as models: learning and the complicity of authority|year=2008|publisher=The University of Michigan|pages=280}}</ref> Often their presence within this realm of art is to complement and provide assistance to the protagonist of the relief during a scene of intense masculinity or bravery.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hansen|first=L|title=MUSES as models: learning and the complicity of authority|year=2008|publisher=The University of Michigan|pages=281}}</ref>

== Hercules ==
Virtus is most commonly known in the story of [[Hercules]]. Hercules finds himself at a crossroads, where has to choose between Virtus and [[Voluptas]], essentially vice and virtue. Hercules has to choose between a life of ease and glutton or between a life of valor and strength. Hercules eventually chooses Virtus.<ref>CACIORGNA, MARILENA. "THE FIGURE OF HERCULES AND THE PATH OF VIRTUS. SPIRITUAL AND ICONOGRAPHIC MOTIFS." ''I Quaderni del Ramo d'Oro On-line, Sie na'' 7 (2015): 147-177.</ref>

==Modern era==
In the [[United States]] in 1776, Virtus was made the central figure in the [[Seal of Virginia]] and the subsequent [[Flag of Virginia|state flag]], which features the seal. The [[Virginia]] four-dollar note, a [[Continental (currency)|Continental currency]], had a similar Virtus pictured on its obverse.

==See also==
*[[Hercules at the crossroads]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Roman religion|state=collapsed}}

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[[Category:Roman deities]]
[[Category:Roman gods]]
[[Category:Roman goddesses]]
[[Category:War gods]]
[[Category:War goddesses]]
[[Category:Personifications in Roman mythology]]

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