When were the planets named? For example in the West, were the names of the Roman gods simply associated with the celestial bodies or were they seen as the gods themselves?

by ronaldraiden

Watching the stream from Juno, I realised I have no idea how the planets were named (in the West).

GobletOfFirewhiskey

The five planets visible to the naked eye (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn) were named by the Ancient Romans after their gods. The planets weren't seen as gods, but the Romans believed they could convey omens and portents of the gods. There was a very well developed theory of astrology in the Ancient Mediterranean originating in Mesopotamia.

The other planets, the ones discovered after the invention of the telescope, were named after Roman gods according to convention, although that wasn't undisputed. The name Uranus didn't come into common use until 1850; it's discoverer, William Herschel, wanted to call it Georgium Sidus (George's Star, after the king), while the French wanted to name it after Herschel himself.