The name developed from DIESPATER or DIOVIS PATER, 'heavenly father', and can be traced back to the earliest known proto-Indo-European sky deity. Jupiter is the Greek equivalent of ZEUS, ruler of the gods, and is the Romans’ god of the sky, thunder and lightning. He appears in the Etruscan pantheon as TIN or TINIA and is the equivalent of the Oscans’ DIUUEI. Prior to his alignment with Zeus he had several aspects, which included IOVI (Jove) LUCETIS, the god of light, dawn and the full moon; I. FULGURATOR and I. FULMINATOR, the god of lightning, I. TONANSOR or I. TONITRUALIS, the thunderer, and I. PLUUIUS, god of rain. He is the son of SATURN and brother of NEPTUNE, PLUTO and JUNO, who (see above) is also his wife. His attribute is the lightning bolt and his symbol the eagle, which is also his messenger. He is also considered the patron god of Rome, and his temple was the official place of state business and sacrifices. As a bringer of light he is linked to childbearing, and is invoked by the woman in labour, who would beseech him to 'bring forth their child into the light'. JUPITER DOLICHENUS: Dolichenus appears to have been a weather god, originating in SE Turkey, brought to other areas of the Continent by Roman soldiers and likened in some characteristics to their already familiar Jupiter. Dolichenus seems to have been a god of feasts. An altar and possibly feasting-hall has been located at Vindolanda Roman fort, near Hadrian's Wall, N England
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