Rex Nemorensis - RomanMythology.com

Diana Nemorensis: The King of the Wood at Lake Nemi

June 13, 2026 by Theo Mercer

Diana Nemorensis standing beside Lake Nemi with sacred animals in a wooded sanctuary

Diana’s oldest priest, the King of the Wood, was a runaway slave who won his office by murdering the priest before him — then guarded a dark grove sword in hand, waiting for the man who would murder him.

► Necessary Cookies Always Active

Necessary cookies enable essential site features like secure log-ins and consent preference adjustments. They do not store personal data.

► Functional Cookies Remark

Functional cookies support features like content sharing on social media, collecting feedback, and enabling third-party tools.

► Analytical Cookies Remark

Analytical cookies track visitor interactions, providing insights on metrics like visitor count, bounce rate, and traffic sources.

► Advertisement Cookies Remark

Advertisement cookies deliver personalized ads based on your previous visits and analyze the effectiveness of ad campaigns.