Quirinus, << kwih RY nuhs >>, was one of the three principal gods in Roman mythology during the early history of Rome. Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus made up a grouping of divinities that scholars have described as the archaic triad. Of this group of three gods, Quirinus was the god who was most concerned with the Roman people. He had the basic role of promoting the general prosperity and welfare of the community. Through the years, the people came to believe that Quirinus was the divine incarnation (form) of Romulus, one of the mythical cofounders of Rome.
After about 200 B.C., Quirinus lost much of his importance to the Romans. A new Capitoline triad emerged, consisting of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. But the idea originally represented by Quirinus—divine concern for the welfare of the people—remained a fundamental element of the religion of the ancient Romans.
