Lares and penates, << LAR eez and puh NAY teez >>, were patron spirits of the home in the religion of ancient Rome. Each household had its protective lar. The penates protected the household supplies. The lar was thought to be the spirit of an ancestor. Beginning in the last century before the birth of Christ, households included two lares. Lares were represented as young men in caps and tunics. They were portrayed in statuettes kept in a sacred cupboard called the lararium in the entrance hall, or they were painted on a wall. The family made offerings to them after the evening meal.
Every block of houses in Roman cities had its own lar. Romans worshiped these lares at the Festival of the Compitalia, held on January 3. Rome also had its own public lares to protect it from enemies.
