Goddess Bona Dea

 

Bona Dea: Rome's Matron Goddess. 

Bona Dea was revered by Roman women as both a fertility goddess and a spirit of virginity. 

• Women could only attend her festivals on December 4th and May 1st, and depictions of men and animals were prohibited within her temple gates. 

• Her healing and restoration abilities led to the ill and handicapped being cared for in the gardens of her temples. 

• Bona Dea is associated with snakes, and she was often invoked by slaves seeking escape from servitude.