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Roman Superstitions
•Out of numina and Etruscan nightmares
• Lamia – boogeywoman ate children
•Lemures – Etruscan ghosts of the
dead
•Werewolves - verspilles
Bad Omens• Stumbling on threshold leaving domus or
crossing with left (sinister) foot• Mentioning fire at a banquet• Cock crow during party• Black cat entering domus• Snakes falling from roof into yard• Anything unnatural (e.g. deformed
births/sweating statues)• Odd number at a party and all fall silent• Bearded woman
• Time Specific – e.g. marriage on specific days• Place Specific – e.g. cutting hair or nails at sea or food falling from hand to floor at banquet• Climate Specific – e.g. lightening flashes
Means of Averting Evil: whistle at lightening, charms & spells (e.g. bulla), burning fallen food to household gods, lick finger and pass behind ear to free of bad thoughts
Big Leagues
• Witches – Vergil says they can draw the moon from the sky
• Carmina – spells, usually love or vengence
• Protection from spells: wolf’s head or wolf’s beard nailed to door
Curses - Defixio
• Dedication of enemy to gods of underworld
• Curse scratched onto lead tablet and nailed to tomb, well, cave, etc.
• Defixiones found as far as Africa, Britain,
and Germany, as well as in Italy
SOCIAL SAFETY VALVE
Religious matters
• Augury – especially birds & other omens
‘sacred chickens’ with army
• Hepatoscopy – Extispicy – organs of
sacrificial victims, especially liver