Jove

Jove is the Latin name for Jupiter, the king of the gods in Roman mythology and the god of the sky and thunder. As the Roman equivalent of the Greek Zeus, Jove oversees weather, justice, kingship, and the welfare of the state, and he is often depicted as the supreme ruler of the pantheon. His symbols include the thunderbolt, the eagle, and the oak tree, through which he asserts authority over gods and humans alike.

In myth, Jove is the husband of Juno and the father of many deities and heroes, including Mars and Minerva in various traditions. He features prominently in the founding legends of Rome and is revered as a guardian of the city and its laws. His numerous myths illustrate themes of power, divine justice, and interventional acts in human affairs.

Worship and cult: The most important temple dedicated to Jove was the Capitoline Temple on the Capitoline Hill, where Jupiter Optimus Maximus was honored as the head of the Capitoline Triad with Juno and Minerva. Public festivals such as the Ludi Romani celebrated his majesty and beneficence, and numerous altars and cults across the Roman world honored him. Over time, Roman religious practice absorbed and syncretized forms of Jupiter with other Mediterranean deities, including Jupiter Dolichenus in some regions.

In language and literature, Jove survives primarily in archaic or literary usage. The interjection By Jove! expresses surprise or emphasis in English from the early modern period, and the name appears in poetry and historical chronicles as a classical reference to the god or the planet.

Modern usage: Today Jove is mainly a poetic or historical term for Jupiter; the standard name for the planet is Jupiter, while Jove remains a literary or antiquarian reference.