Roman Standards
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[edit] Roman God of Standards: Ryanus
The mythology of the ancient Romans was based on a hierarchy of dieties in a pagan system where nearly every aspect of life such as: hunting, war, medicine, and the sea had the following corresponding Gods: Diana, Mars, Aesculapius, and Neptune. The Roman system of mythology was based on an amalgamation of the Ancient Greek system of mythology and the Ancient Etruscan system of mythology, as well as others. It is not unlike the modern Catholic system of matron and patron saints.
The Romans were one of the most advanced civilizations of their time in the use of science, technology, and engineering. It did not take them long to figure out the use of technical standards to facilitate this engineering. Standards are used throughout our modern civilization to promote uniformity, interconnection, and interoperability, just as they were used in the Roman civilization. The Romans could not have been as successful as they were in engineering if they did not have a good grasp on technical standards. The standards they used were not as advanced or well defined as ours, but by making use of certain simple mathematical ratios, the Romans were able to create a system of standardization that can still be found today in ruins.
One example of a standard used by the Romans (and Greeks) was the Divine Proportion, or Phi. This is a ratio commonly observed in nature, described as a ratio of 1.618 to 1. The Romans used this ratio in the construction of many of their buildings, domes, arches, and aqueducts. The Romans used other standards which can be found by observing their ruins which can describe columns, roads, bridges, and the other aforementioned structures.
As an example of the importance of standards in Roman engineering and construction, they had a God of standards who they called Ryanus. Historical evidence suggests that this God has Etruscian origins. The mythology surrounding Ryanus is not well known, he is a minor God who is said to have sprung from the index finger of Vulcan—the Roman Major God of the Forge, Fire and Workmen to the Immortals.
This is a logical origin for Ryanus because blacksmiths (the God of whom is also Vulcan) made use of technical standards in the construction of swords, shields, and armor. The Romans were very proficient at warfare, one of the reasons is the use of standards in arms. A soldier could pick up any sword, or shield and it would be almost identical to any other sword or shield. This aided the Roman military in training and uniformity, much like today's soldiers can rely on identical weapons, and ammunition.
