Page "Dius Fidius" Paragraph 2

Varro states his teacher Aelius Stilo called this god Diovis filium, i. e. Dius Filius as the Grreek Διόσκορον Castorem on the grounds of the alternance of the letters d and l in the Sabine tongue and identified him in Sabine Sancus and Greek Hercules.

Even though this assumption is not linguistically correct as in the Iguvine Tables the god is named Fis ( i ) us or Fisovius Sancius his intrepretation, based on unknown theological documents, tallies with that of some modern scholars.

The god is certainly not a mere aspect of Jupiter but a separate entity, known in Rome as Semo Sancus Dius Fidius.

Wissowa argues that while Jupiter is the god of the Fides Publica Populi Romani as Iuppiter Lapis, by whom the most important oaths are sworn, Dius Fidius is a peculiar deity established for the everyday use, i. e. in charge of the protection of good faith in private affairs: he would be the correspondent of Ζευς Πίστιος.

This view may well reflect a later development but is not the original interpretation since Dius Fidius was not confined to the private fides in early times, when matters of public relevance ( such as the first international treaty of Rome, the one with Gabii ) were preserved in his shrine, i. e. put under his jurisdiction.

Remarkable is the fact that the shrine of Sancus had no roof as it was deemed inappropriate and ineffective to swear oaths unless under the sky and the Capitolin temple had an opening in its roof too.