Bellona is a Roman Goddess of war. The daughter of Phorcys and Geto, She is either the sister or companion of Mars. When offering sacrifice to Her, the Bellonarii, Her priests, would inflict bloody wounds upon themselves.
Bellona is depicted with scraggly hair and holds a bloody lash.
Her temple on the Campus Martius was used as a place to receive foreign dignitaries who might not have been wanted inside the city walls. Roman generals returning from war overseas would be welcomed there with their armies when petitioning the Senate for a triumph (Roman Consuls were forbidden to bring their armies inside the city walls.) Outside Her temple stood a pillar. When declaring war on a foreign enemy, a priest would symbolically throw a spear over this pillar and into "enemy territory," thus upholding the much older tradition.
She is also known by the following names:
Enyo (Greek), Mah-Bellona
The following dates are sacred to Her:
June 3 - Her temple on the Campus Martius was dedicated around 294BCE.
