among the ancients, derived by Apuleius (De Deo Socratis), from lar, familiaris; a kind of domestic genii, or divinities, worshipped in houses, and esteemed the guardians and protectors of families; supposed to reside more immediately in the chimney corner.

The Lares were distinguished from the Penates; as the former were supposed to preside over house-keeping, the servants in families, and domestic affairs; and the latter were the protectors of the matters of families, their wives and children. Accordingly the Lares were dressed in short succinct habits, to show their readiness to serve; and they held a sort of cornucopia in their hands, as a signal of hospitality and good house-keeping. According to Ovid, there were generally two of them, who were sometimes represented with a dog at their feet.

Plutarch distinguishes good and evil Lares, as he had before done good and evil Genii.—There were also some public; others private Lares.

Apuleius tells us the domestic Lares were no more than the souls of departed persons, who had lived well, and discharged the duties of their station; whereas those who had done otherwise, were vagabonds, wandering about and frightening people, called Larvae and Lemures.

The Lares were also called Penates, and were worshipped under the figures of little marmousets, or images of wax, silver, or earthen ware.

The public Lares were also called Compitales, from compitum "a cross-way;" and Viales, from via "a way or public road;" as being placed at the meetings of Lares roads and in the highways, and esteemed the patrons and protectors of travellers.

Their private Lares took care of particular houses and families: these they also called Praefites, from praeficio:

Quod praefiant oculis omnia tutu fuls. Ovid Fast.

They gave the name Urbani, i.e. "Lares of cities," to those who had cities under their care; and Hylfilii, to those who were to keep their enemies off. There were also Lares of the country, called Rurales, as appears by several antique inscriptions.

The Lares were also genial gods, and were supposed to take care of children from their birth. It is for this reason that when Macrobius tells us the Egyptians had four gods who presided over the birth of children, viz. the Genius, Fortune, Love, and Necessity, called Praefites, some interpret him as if he had said the Egyptians had Lares; but they have mentioned that there was a great difference between the Lares of the Romans and the Praefites of the Egyptians. However, the learned Mr Bryant affirms that they were the same.

The ancients differ extremely about the origin of the Lares. Varro and Macrobius say that they were the children of Mania; Ovid makes them the issue of Mercury, and the Naïad Lara, or Larunda; Apuleius affirms they were the posterity of the Lemures; Nigeridius, according to Arnobius, made them sometimes the guardians and protectors of houses, and sometimes the same with the Curetes of Samothracia, which the Greeks call Idei daedali. Nor was Varro more consistent in his opinion of these gods; sometimes making them the manes of heroes, and sometimes gods of the air.

T. Tatius king of the Sabines, was the first who built a temple to the Lares. The chimney and fireplace in the house were particularly consecrated to them.

Tertullian tells us, the custom of worshipping the Lares arose from this, that they anciently interred their dead in their houses; whence the credulous people took occasion to imagine their souls continued there also, and proceeded to pay them divine honours. To this it may be added, that the custom being afterwards introduced of burying in the highways, they might hence take occasion to regard them as gods of the highways.

The victim offered to the Lares in the public sacrifices was a hog: in private, they offered them wine, incense, a crown of wool, and a little of what was left at the table. They also crowned them with flowers, particularly the violet, myrtle, and rosemary. Their symbol was a dog, which was usually represented by their side, on account of its fidelity and the service it does to man in watching his house. They were sometimes also represented as clothed in a dog's skin.

The term Lares, according to Mr Bryant, was formed from laren, an ancient word by which the ark was represented: and he supposes that the Lares and Manes were the same domestic deities under different names; and that by these terms the Heterurians and Latins denoted the dii arkite, who were no other than their arkite ancestors, or the persons preserved in the laren or ark; the genius of which was Isis, the repu... ted parent of the world. He observes farther, that they are described as demons and genii, who once lived on earth, and were gifted with immortality. Arnobius styles them Lares quodam genios & funerum animas; and he says, that according to Varro, they were the children of Mania. Huetius (Demonst. Prop. 4. p. 139.) adds, that Mania had also the name of Larunda; and she is styled the mother of the demons. By some she is called Lara, and was supposed to preside over families; and children were offered at her altar in order to procure her favour. In lieu of these they in after-times offered the heads of poppies and pods of garlic.