A vast number of ancient
Roman deities are known by name. The most familiar today are those the Romans identified with Greek counterparts (see
interpretatio graeca), integrating
Greek myths,
iconography, and sometimes
religious practices into
Roman culture, including
Latin literature,
Roman art, and
religious life as it was experienced throughout the
Empire. Many of the Romans' own gods remain obscure, known only by name and function, through inscriptions and texts that are often fragmentary—particularly those who belong to the archaic religion of the Romans dating back to the
era of kings, the so-called "religion of
Numa," perpetuated or revived over the centuries. Some archaic deities have
Italic or
Etruscan counterparts, as identified both by ancient sources and by modern scholars. Throughout the Empire, the deities of peoples in the
provinces were given new theological interpretations in light of functions or attributes they shared with Roman deities.