Jupiter Tonans

Thunder and lightning mark Jupiter’s power as Thunder-smiter. Jupiter Tonans is the thunderous aspect of the Roman-Italian god Jupiter. Jupiter is the supreme god of the sky, rain, sun, moon and thunder. He is symbolised by a lightning bolt, and Roman augurs could read thunder and lightning as divine signs. His related titles include Jupiter Fulgurator and Jupiter Fulminator, names connected with lightning. He holds the highest rank among the Roman gods and is linked with the protection of Rome and its people.

Jupiter was the son of Saturn and Ops, with Neptune as his brother and Juno as his consort. Another account names Cybele, also known as Rhea, as his mother. Saturn was said to devour his children, but Jupiter was hidden in a cave on Mount Ida in Crete. There, the goat Amalthea fed him with her milk, while the Corybantes concealed his cries with drums and cymbals. Jupiter Tonans has no separate origin or independent myth. It belongs within the myths and worship of Jupiter, the sovereign god associated with the sky, thunder, lightning and the protection of Rome.