Page "Lares" Paragraph 4

Compared to Rome's major deities Lares had limited scope and potency but archaeological and literary evidence attests to their central role in Roman identity and religious life.

By analogy, a homeward-bound Roman could be described as returning ad Larem ( to the Lar ).

Despite official bans on non-Christian cults from the late 4th century AD onwards, unofficial cults to Lares persisted until at least the early 5th century AD.