ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Penates

Okay kiddo, so have you ever played a game where you needed to collect different things to win? Maybe it was collecting the most points or gathering all the pieces of a puzzle. Well, some people in ancient Rome believed that there were special little gods called Penates who helped protect their homes and families.

These Penates were said to live inside the homes of these people and were responsible for looking after everything inside, like making sure the food stayed fresh and the fire in the hearth stayed lit. They were considered to be very important because without them, bad things could happen to their homes and families.

To keep their Penates happy, the people of ancient Rome would "feed" them offerings like wine, fruit, and bread. They would also decorate their homes with special symbols or statues that represented the Penates.

So basically, Penates were little gods that some people in ancient Rome believed lived in their homes and watched over everything inside. People wanted to keep them happy so they would stay safe and protected.
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