I'm working on starting my own webcomic taking place in ancient Rome. But I need help making sure I'm accurate. I will be including mythology and beliefs, so.... one question I have is what is the Roman name for the River Styx? Does it stay the same as Greek or....?

Greek and Roman mythology both use the river Styx

Thank you for clearing up that confusion.

no problem

I know you posted this two weeks ago, but I didn't see it before.
It sounds very interesting, I would definitely read a webcomic taking place in Ancient Rome!
When exactly does it takes place? (Have you decided yet of a year, or it's more like 'generic ancient Rome'?)

I'm quite a specialist about Ancient Rome (it's one my fields of study), so if you have any kind of question, about literally anything from religious beliefs to historical events, politics or everyday life, you can ping me or even pm me, I'll be glad to help you!

(Someone has already answered about the Styx, yes I agree it's the same. Usually if you don't find the 'roman form' of a name, the Romans used the greek name. Even if you use the greek form of name while there is a 'roman form' it would not necessarily be inaccurate, as most of the upper class Romans were fluent in greek, at least by the end of the Republic and during the Empire)

Yeah, more generic ancient Rome, but where the colosseum was still being built. I am definitely making this historical fiction, because the emperor at the time and his son who becomes emperor are completely made up, as well as another dude later on.

Is there any mythology going to be involved in this? I mean, I'd assume so, since it's Ancient Rome, but I played this one game that was placed in what looked and acted like Ancient Rome, but it also had Greek gods and a lot more Greek elements (It had Icarus in the title, which is Greek, but it also had Centurions, which are very much Roman).

You mostly just have to remember that the Romans were pretty much bent on world domination, and the Greeks loved arts and the crafts. A document from I think the Roman Empire had a water commissioner call the works of the Greeks "famous but useless". Greek gods would be very poetic about killing you whereas the Roman gods would just straight up kill you. (Juno killed many women that Jupiter fell in love with o~o)

Well, actually, Greek and Roman mythologies fare very very similar. Hera ((aka Juno)) also killed a lot of women that Zues ((aka Jupiter)) fell in love with as well.

So it's some kind of alternate history, set in a period similar to the first century? Yeah, It's probably easier to do something about generic Rome make things up, as it gives more freedom and you have less to worry about being historically accurate.

I'm working on a historical novel set in Ancient Rome, but with real historical characters, and it can be very long and difficult to make all the research I need to be sure I'm accurate (I'm quite a perfectionnist, and I really want to be accurate x) ).

So, do the gods/mythology play a part in your story only because of the religious beliefs of people, or do they really exist and appear?



The myth of Icarus was was known by the Romans. A frescoe from Pompeii showing the death of Icarus: https://i.pinimg.com/474x/f7/62/e8/f762e806b292aa700e740b33ee2ba6bf--pompeii-and-herculaneum-pompeii-italy.jpg

Yes Hera was cruel with Zeus lovers too. I think we can't say that the Roman gods were more cruel. They had different aspects, but were not necessarily more cruel. For example, Ares was feared by the greek because they saw him as a cruel god who loved violence and slaughter, while Mars was seen as a very important god in Rome, even if he was a war god he was more 'serious', also a defender, and the father of the founder of Rome.

And even if some Romans didn't like Greece of didn't care, others loved Greece, the most famous example probably being Emperor Hadrien.
(Well, at least if we speak about the Empire. During the Republic, except during the later period, most typically greek things like theater were seen as decadent)

Yeah, I'm definitely making a somewhat inaccurate ancient Rome story. I'm thinking the gods will be real and actually have parts in the story. But I can't tell you too much about it, because.... spoilers. I'm also having a visit to the Oracle.... Do the Romans also cal it Delphi?