Ops

The Goddess of Plenty

Ops was the Roman goddess of abundance, crops and the rich resources of the earth. Her name is connected with Latin words for wealth, help and plenty. She was the partner of Saturn, the god of sowing, and together they made a very sensible farming pair. Saturn was linked with putting seeds into the ground, while Ops represented the abundance people hoped would eventually come from it. Romans later connected her with the Greek goddess Rhea, and in mythology she became the mother of Jupiter, Juno, Neptune, Pluto, Ceres and Vesta.

Ops had important Roman traditions of her own. Her festival called the Opiconsivia took place on 25 August, when harvested grain was being gathered and stored. Another celebration, the Opalia, came on 19 December during the Saturnalia season. These dates fitted a goddess of plenty perfectly. One came when people were storing the results of months of farming, while the other came when families could enjoy what had been saved. Her shrine in the Regia, an ancient building in the Roman Forum, was a special sacred place, and the Vestal Virgins had roles in her worship.

When Romans retold the Greek story of Cronus and Rhea, Ops became the clever mother who saved Jupiter from Saturn. Saturn swallowed his children because he feared one would overthrow him. Ops hid the baby Jupiter and gave Saturn a wrapped stone instead. Jupiter grew up safely and eventually rescued his brothers and sisters. Ops could be shown holding grain or a cornucopia overflowing with food. She overlaps with Ceres, but they were not exactly the same. Ceres was especially connected with grain and farming, while Ops represented plenty itself, including safely stored supplies and resources. I think a full basket is the perfect symbol for her. It does not look as dramatic as a trident or thunderbolt, but to a Roman family wondering whether their food would last through winter, it represented an extremely powerful kind of security.

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