Pomo'na
the Roman divinity of the fruit of trees, hence called
Pomorum Patrona. Her name is evidently connected with
Pomum. She is represented by the poets as having been beloved by several of the rustic divinities, such as Silvanus, Picus, Vertumnus, and others (
Ov. Met. 14.623, &c.; Propert. 4.2. 21, &c.;
Serv. ad Aen. 7.190). Her worship must originally have been of considerable importance, as we learn from Varr (
De L. L. 7.15) that a special priest, under the name of
flamen Pomonalis, was appointed to attend to her service (comp.
Plin. Nat. 23.1).
It is not impossible that Pomona may in reality be nothing but the personification of one of the attributes of Ops. (Hartung,
Die Relig. d. Röom. vol. ii. p. 133, &c.)
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