2 questions of Varro's Dei Praecipui

[Lucius Tyrrhenus Garrulus]

SALVETE OMNES, S.V.B.E.V.
Excuse my ignorance here...
Do Varro's Dei Praecipui predate the Di Consentes?
Do the Dei Praecipui represent a move toward monotheism? Or hellenization? Or something else?
VALETE BENE!

[Horatius Piscinus]

Salve Luci Garrule

Do Varro's Dei Praecipui predate the Di Consentes?

Is that a philosophical question? The Gods being Gods immortal came into being with this universe. So your question, I would think, is irrelevent. Between the categories assigned by men as a way of understanding, the Di Consentes were celebrated first in the third century, I believe, while Varro's comments are later. Varro has a number of opinions on the Gods that, while interesting, would be philosophical in nature and not what could be consider prevelent opinions among Romans.

Do the Dei Praecipui represent a move toward monotheism? Or hellenization? Or something else?

The Dei praecipui are twenty gods that were especially worshipped at Rome, and were also assimulated with Greek deities. I do not see how you could see them as monotheistic. As for Helenization, I do not think that was the case either. The Romans saw parallels between their gods and those of other peoples, but also noted differences. The Roman gods do not exactly match with the Greek gods of Olympus. The idea that they were 'assimulated' only means that they were recognized as superficially being 'like' Roman gods, not the same, in all cases. Jupiter and Zeus and Ceres with Demeter are very close parallels, and I would be inclined to say They are the same deities. But Minerva is unlike Athena, Roman Venus is no Aphrodite and She is unlike the Hellenized Venus of poets, and while Roman poets drew an identification between Hera and Juno, I think they too are different in character and nature. The Dei praecipui was a category made by Varro to explain certain things about Roman practices. In that, I think it is rather artificial.

Vale

[Lucius Tyrrhenus Garrulus]

MVLTAS GRATIAS, PISCINE!

I was under the mistaken impression that the Dei Praecipui indicated some sort of abandoning of other Roman Gods.

Many thanks,
VALE BENE!