CONSUS.

Consus was the god of secret counsel.

The Romans believed that when an idea developed itself spontaneously within
the mind of an individual, it was Consus who had prompted the suggestion.
This applied, however, more particularly to plans which resulted
satisfactorily.

An altar was erected to this divinity on the Circus Maximus, which was kept
always covered, except during his festival, the Consualia, which was
celebrated on the 18th of August.

LIBITINA.

Libitina was the goddess who presided over funerals. This divinity was
identified with Venus, possibly because the ancients considered that the
power of love extended even to the realms of death.

Her temple in Rome, which was erected by Servius Tullius, contained all the
requisites for funerals, and these could either be bought or hired there. A
register of all deaths which occurred in the city of Rome was kept in {184}
this temple, and in order to ascertain the rate of mortality, a piece of
money was paid by command of Servius Tullius, on the demise of each person.

LAVERNA.

Laverna was the presiding goddess of thieves, and of all artifice and
fraud. There was an altar erected to her near the Porta Lavernalis, which
was called after her, and she possessed a sacred grove on the Via Salavia.

COMUS.

Comus was the presiding genius of banquets, festive scenes, revelry, and
all joyous pleasures and reckless gaiety.

He is represented as a young man crowned with flowers, his face heated and
flushed with wine, leaning against a post in a half-sleepy and drunken
attitude, with a torch falling from his hand.

THE CAMENAE.

The Camenae were prophetic nymphs held in high veneration by the ancient
Italians. They were four in number, the best known of whom are Carmenta and
Egeria.

Carmenta was celebrated as being the mother of Evander, who led an Arcadian
colony into Italy, and founded a town on the river Tiber, which became
afterwards incorporated with the city of Rome. Evander is said to have been
the first who introduced Greek art and civilization into Italy, and also
the worship of Greek divinities.

A temple was erected to Carmenta on the Capitoline Hill, and a festival,
called the Carmentalia, was celebrated in her honour on the 11th of
January.

Egeria is said to have initiated Numa Pompilius in the forms of religious
worship, which he introduced among his people. She was regarded as the
giver of {185} life, and was therefore invoked by