DIVINATION General info l Divine communicate directly with

DIVINATION

General info… l Divine communicate directly with human beings l Direct visit – appear in person l Gods or Fates sent signs l Art of interrupting divine will – called divination l Tarot cards l Read stars l Crystal balls l Tea leaves

Augury! Flight and song of birds l Founding of Rome herself l l Romulus (12 vultures) and Remus (6 vultures) Yes or no l It could not fill in the details l Magistrates l Establish divine approval or disapproval l

Augury! Magistrates sit in open to take the auspice l Accompanied by augur l Songs, flight patterns, appearance l Quarter of sky l Augur was blindfolded l In 99 BC – wealthy individual built house blocking view from auguraculum l

Sacred Fowls! Watching eating habits l Kept in cages – instant answers l Cake l Greedy - good sign l No interest/refused to leave/tried to fly away – bad sign l Roman General l l ‘Let them drink instead!’

Lightning! Will of gods – flashes of lightning l Sent by Jupiter l Sacred spaces l Postpone business l Political factions l Thunder – omen l l December l 3 – shortage of fish! Omina impetrativa

Unsought Omens! Omina oblativa l Appear to anyone/any form l Historian Livy mentions omens: Observed during early years of war against Hannibal l

Unsought Omens! Presented problems… l Which divine being? l What did it refer to? l Who was it meant for? l What did it refer to? l What did it mean? l l Private citizens

The Sibylline books! l Omina oblativa l Advise l the senate – consult books Collection of oracles l Bought by Tarquin the Proud l From Sibyl of Cumae 6 th Century BC l Sibyl l Priestess l Future l Aeneas of Apollo

Haruspicy! Examine internal organs l Imperfections – displeased l Bronze model – liver (16 regions) l Etruscans l Haruspices (pl. ) Haruspex (sing. ) l Priests from Etruria l l Unsought l omens if no augur Professionals (not elected)

Haruspicy! 60 in reign of Augustus l Never an official priesthood l l No prestige and authority

Dreams! Based on old beliefs – sent by gods l Individuals – not state religion l Lucretius – follower of Epicurean philosophy l l Dreams meaningless l People believed l Suetonius – historian l Augustus’ life saved by friend – don’t stay in tent l Julius Caesar – raped mother

Dreams! l Livy – about Hannibal l 218 BC Hannibal waiting to invade l Young man – a god – guide him to Italy l Told not to look back l Curious – he looked l Snake l Storm cloud – lightning and thunder l Devastate Italy – took next 15 years

Astrology! Consult the stars l From the East – 2 nd Century BC l Earth – centre of universe l l Seven bodies: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon Influence whatever they shone upon l Predetermined future l Loopholes l

Astrology! Not universally popular l Meaningless to worship gods? l Try to fulfil destiny l Senate banned astrologers every now and then l Increasingly influential l Augustus – told he would be king l

Astrology! l Suetonius says about Tiberius l l “careless about the gods and religion because he was addicted to astrology and believed everything was ruled by fate. ” Vettius Valens l “It is impossible for any man by prayers and sacrifice to overcome what is fixed from the beginning. ”

Astrology! l Tacitus – astrologers are… l “a breed of men who betray the powerful and deceive the hopeful” and “were constantly being banned from Rome and were constantly being found there. ”

Lastly… Not all believed BUT majority practiced in some form or another l Forbidden in 4 th Century AD by Christian Emperors l HOWEVER l l Horoscopes still today… in magazines and newspapers