Latonas

Latonas is a term primarily used in Latin texts and scholarly writing as the plural or Latinate form of Latona, the Latinized name for the Greek goddess Leto. Latona is the mother of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis by Zeus and holds a central role in Greek and Roman mythology. In Latin literature, Latona appears under the name Latona or Latonae in various contexts, and Latonas may be encountered as a plural form when referring to multiple mentions or depictions of the goddess within a corpus.

In myth, Hera persecutes Latona, driving her to seek a refuge where she can safely give birth. She ultimately bears Apollo and Artemis on the island of Delos. Latona is often associated with motherhood and the protection of her children; in some traditions, her offspring connect her to solar and lunar symbolism through Apollo and Artemis.

The name Latona appears in art and literature from antiquity through the Renaissance and later periods, where the goddess is depicted in scenes of birth, nurture, and divine offspring. In contemporary scholarship, Latona is usually treated as a Latin variant of Leto, and Latonas is not considered a separate figure or entity.

See also Leto.