"Respect for authority." In Roman mythology, Pietas was the goddess of duty towards one's state, gods and family. A duty of those in authority to those under their control. Each station in life has its duties; every situation in life has duties or obligations incumbent on it. The primary duty one owes is to the state; since God is using the Roman state to further law and civilization, performing one's duty is a religious act. The principal being to which one owes respect is, of course, God; since God is working out his will in history by using the Roman state and Roman officials (derived from officium), the respect one shows for Roman authorities is also a respect shown for God and the logos .

In Roman mythology, Pietas was the goddess of duty to one's state, gods and family and a personification of the Roman virtue of pietas. One of the di indigetes, her main temple was a 2nd century BC one in the Forum Holitorium.