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Volumnia, a MythSource painting
Roman

Volumnia

Goddess of the Will · Presider Over the Will · Volumna

01Identity

Volumnia in Roman tradition

The will is the domain of Volumnia, a Roman-Italic being known as the Goddess of the Will and Presider Over the Will. She is also known as Volumna, and should not be confused with the human Volumnia who led Rome’s women to Coriolanus’s camp. In that story, her persuasion made her son abandon his attack, accept a treaty and order the Volscians to withdraw, though they later executed him for refusing to destroy his homeland.

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Volumnia?

    Volumnia is a Roman being associated with the will.
    Source

    Source

    • Dictionary of northern mythology
    • Essential Visual History of World Mythology

  • What is Volumnia associated with?

    Volumnia is associated with the will.
    Source

    Source

    • Dictionary of northern mythology

  • What family links are recorded for Volumnia?

    Father: http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/99f37bda50119ce47afc77eb6254d6b5, Mother: http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/fadf13ac14bde4ef5b25371ba6341bae, Spouse: Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus.

  • What happens in Volumnia Stops Coriolanus?

    Volumnia led Rome’s women to the Volscian camp and persuaded her son Coriolanus to abandon his attack and accept a treaty.
    Source

    Source

    • the ancient sources
    • Roman Mythology
02Family

Volumnia’s family, at a glance

http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/99f37bda50119ce47afc77eb6254d6b5http://www.wikidata.org/.well-known/genid/fadf13ac14bde4ef5b25371ba6341bae
Volumnia

with Gnaeus Marcius Coriolanus

03The names

The names Volumnia answers to

Volumna

Variant form of Volumnia's name

SourceEssential Visual History of World Mythology

04The myths

The myths of Volumnia

1 myth, with sources recorded for each, with 2 reviewed modern reworks linked where the evidence supports it.

Volumnia Stops Coriolanus

The Volscian army advanced on Rome, and the sudden attack threw the Romans into dismay. They had made no preparations for defence, and the city seemed to lie at the mercy of its enemies. The women ran to the temples and prayed for the gods' favour. The people demanded that the Senate send envoys to seek peace, so the Senate sent five leading patricians to the Volscian camp.

Coriolanus received the envoys haughtily. He refused peace unless Rome restored all the land and cities that it had taken from the Volscians. He also demanded that the Volscians became citizens of Rome and received the same rights as the Romans. The envoys returned with these terms, and turmoil spread through the city.

Volumnia led a small band of women to confront Coriolanus, her son and Rome's enemy. They told him that they could not stand by while fathers, brothers and husbands destroyed one another. They demanded that the Romans and Volscians negotiate a treaty. Volumnia persuaded him to abandon his attack on Rome and accept peace.

As the women returned to Rome, Coriolanus ordered the Volscian soldiers to retreat. The Volscian leaders demanded to know why he had given the order. He told them that he would no longer help them destroy his beloved homeland. Without his support, the Volscian campaign fell apart and ceased to threaten Rome. The Volscians then executed Coriolanus for his change of heart.

Volumnia Stops Coriolanus, a MythSource painting of the scene

In the modern world

Thunder of Battle

Film

Volumnia (Lilla Brignone) begs her son to spare Rome as he is about to lead a massacre, and he relents and negotiates peace between Romans and Volscians.

Volumnia

Film

Volumnia leads the plea that makes Coriolanus abandon his attack on Rome and accept peace, though he is then killed by his Volscian ally Aufidius in the aftermath.

2 sources· checked 2026-08-19

  1. 1Roman MythologyT1
  2. 2the ancient sourcesT1

    Quote

    “The women’s appeal moved Coriolanus to spare Rome, and he ordered the Volscians to retreat, though they later killed him for abandoning their cause.”

    the ancient sources

Also mentioned in

Stories elsewhere on MythSource that mention Volumnia, each on that figure’s page.