Which Roman goddess personified health and well-being? Salus was the Roman goddess who personified health and well-being.
Salus originally represented safety, welfare, and the preservation of the Roman state as well as the individual. Her name is related to Latin ideas of safety and well-being. This broad role explains why she could be associated with public security, prosperity, and personal health rather than with medicine alone.
Rome voted to build a temple to Salus during the Samnite Wars. The temple was dedicated on August 5, 302 BCE, and the annual Augurium Salutis ceremony was held on that date to seek the preservation of the Roman state. Her cult spread beyond Rome into other parts of Italy.
Over time, Salus became increasingly connected with personal health and with Valetudo, another Roman health goddess. She is sometimes equated with the Greek Hygieia, but the comparison is imperfect: Hygieia was more specifically associated with health and cleanliness, while Salus retained a wider meaning of safety and welfare. Her festival was celebrated on March 30.