Diana (mythology) a deity precursor of Artemis. Modern scholars mostly accept the identification. The ancient Latin writers Varro and Cicero considered the etymology of Dīāna as allied to that of "dies" and connected to the shine of the Moon. The persona of Diana is complex, and contains a number of archaic features. Diana was originally considered to be a goddess of the wilderness and of the hunt, a central sport in both Roman and Greek culture. Early Roman inscriptions to Diana celebrated her primarily as a huntress and patron of hunters. Later, in the Hellenistic period, Diana came to be equally or
Iana (goddess) Iana (goddess) Iana is the name of an ancient Roman goddess associated with arches and the moon, usually identified as either a form of Diana or the female counterpart of Janus. Varro (1st century BC) uses the name in his agricultural treatise, in a passage of dialogue in which the interlocutors explain that some farming tasks should be done when the moon is waxing, while the waning phase facilitates others, such as harvesting, shearing sheep, and clearing woodlands. It seems to be a name used by country people. Orosius (5th century AD) has a form "Ianium" (in some readings) equivalent