Transcript Divination 2011

DIVINATION
General info…

Divine communicate directly with human
beings
Direct visit – appear in person
 Gods or Fates sent signs
 Art of interrupting divine will – called divination

Question:
How do we divine the future
in the modern world?
21 March - 20 April
Aries
22 May - 22 June
Gemini
24 July – 23 August
Leo
24 September - 23 October
Libra
23 November – 21 December
Sagittarius
21 January - 19 February
Aquarius
21 April - 21 May
Taurus
23 June - 23 July
Cancer
24 August - 23 September
Virgo
24 October – 22 November
Scorpio
22 December – 20 January
Capricorn
20 February - 20 March
Pisces
Augury
Flight and song of birds
 Founding of Rome herself

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Romulus (12 vultures) and Remus
(6 vultures)
Yes or no
 It could not fill in the details
 Magistrates
 Establish divine approval or
disapproval

Augury – The ‘How to…’
Magistrates sit in open to “take the
auspice”
 Accompanied by augur
 Songs, flight patterns, appearance
 Quarter of sky
 Augur was blindfolded
 In 99 BC –auguraculum
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Sacred Fowls
Watching eating habits
 Kept in cages
– instant answers
 Cake
 Greedy = good sign
 No interest or refused to leave or tried
to fly away = bad sign
 Roman General - Claudius Pulcher
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‘Let them drink instead!’
Lightning
Will of gods – flashes of lightning
 Sent by Jupiter
 Sacred spaces
 Postpone business
 Political factions
 Thunder – omen
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December 3 – shortage of fish!
Omina impetrativa
Unsought Omens
Omina oblativa
 Appear to anyone/any form
 Historian Livy mentions omens:
Observed during early years of war
against Hannibal
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Conclusive evidence that the aliens
are coming…
Unsought Omens
Presented problems…
 Which divine being?
 What did it refer to?
 Who was it meant for?
 What did it refer to?
 What did it mean?

Private citizens
Nemo is OMEN
spelt backwards…
a sign maybe?
READ PRIMARY SOURCE
READ: # 13 – Omens
Author:
Summarise:
QUESTION:
What omens are seen?
The Sibylline books
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Omina oblativa
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Advise the senate –
consult books
Collection of oracles
Bought by Tarquin the Proud
 From Sibyl of Cumae
6th Century BC
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Sibyl
Priestess of Apollo
 Future
 Aeneas
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READ PRIMARY SOURCE
READ: #14 – The Sibylline Books
Author:
Summarise:
QUESTION:
Why do slaves get assigned to the
men?
Haruspicy
Examine internal
organs
 Imperfections – displeased
 Bronze model – liver
(16 regions)
 Etruscans
 Haruspices (pl.)
Haruspex (sing.)
 Priests from Etruria
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Unsought omens if no augur
Professionals (not elected)
Haruspicy
60 in reign of Augustus
 Never an official priesthood

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No prestige and authority
Dreams
Based on old beliefs – sent by
gods
 Individuals – not state religion
 Lucretius – follower of
Epicurean philosophy
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Dreams meaningless
 People believed
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Suetonius – historian
Augustus’ life saved by
friend – don’t stay in tent
 Julius Caesar – raped mother
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Dreams
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Livy – about Hannibal
218 BC Hannibal waiting to
invade
 Young man – a god – guide
him to Italy
 Told not to look back
 Curious – he looked
 Snake
 Storm cloud – lightning and
thunder
 Devastate Italy – took next 15
years
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Astrology
Consult the stars
 From the East – 2nd Century BC
 Earth – centre of universe
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Seven bodies: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the
Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon
Influence whatever they shone upon
 Predetermined future
 Loopholes
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Astrology
Not universally popular
 Meaningless to worship gods?
 Try to fulfil destiny
 Senate banned astrologers every
now and then
 Increasingly influential
 Augustus – told he would be king
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Astrology
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Suetonius says that Tiberius was…
 “careless about the gods and religion
because he was addicted to astrology
and believed everything was ruled by
fate.”
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Vettius Valens says…
 “It is impossible for any man by prayers
and sacrifice to overcome what is fixed
from the beginning.”
Astrology
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Tacitus says that astrologers are…
 “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.”
Astrology…
Not all believed BUT majority practiced in
some form or another
 Forbidden in 4th Century AD by Christian
Emperors
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HOWEVER – despite this…
What types of Divination do we still
use? Why do we use them? What
is the significance? What does
seeking to know the future tell us
about ourselves (humans)?
READ PRIMARY SOURCE
READ: # 15 – Astrology
Author:
Summarise:
QUESTION:
What are the dangers of
astrology?
Discuss
What explanations might be given for
the importance Romans attached to
omens and the practice of divination?
What impact did the introduction of
astrology have on the traditional
methods of divination?