Superstitious Romans

[duncan.gill]

Does anyone know whether the Romans were particularly superstitious? I find it odd that such a practical and stoic people appeared to have been this way; however at the same time I was wondering given that there was much more written history available for the Romans compared to the Carthaginians etc so that perhaps this view is somewhat overstated (i.e. that because there is more written history, that it is more likely that the daily minutiae would be recorded and therefore give the impression of a more highly superstitious people). Do we know if they were any more/less superstitious than their neighbours?

[QuintusSertorius]

Hugely superstitious, thus the prevalence of the college of augurs, the need to give libations and sacrifices to the spirits of all sorts of things, every political event opening with ceremony and recital of a prayer which had to be said perfectly, or started again. They saw omens and portents in everything, and there were shrines in every home, at every crossroads and in many other places.

They weren't devout in a Judeo-Christian way, but they observed the necessary rites to maintain Rome's luck. That meant fulfilling the contractual obligations to the gods.

[Cyclops]

Dunno really, they acted as though there were no supernatural consequences for breaking treaties.

I think their world-view meant they blamed bad luck/circumstances on otherworldy influences eg the Punic curse. However they tended to go straight ahead and do things and then call in the superstition on demand.

IIRC they utilised their archaic tradition of human sacrifice at a funerals and combined it with the Greek idea of funereal games to come up with gladiatorial contests.

During the Princuipate I believe there was carry-on about whether the Pontifex Maximus was allowed to leave Rome, and burying unchaste Vestals alive, but was that superstition or convenience?

Likewise the Spartans "honoured the Carneia" at the time of Thermopylae, conveniently saving them from risking their army away from home while the enemy fleet was undefeated. The Phokians looted Delphi in the 4th century didn't they? Although it did provoke a fairly united response from the other Hellenes.

My guess is ordinary Romans had a world view that included the supernatuiral in their explanations of events, but the leaders were of quite a pragmatic bent.

Maybe they were influenced by the free thinking Greeks? More likely they were covetous of conquest and wealth, andn those motivations were uppermost in their minds.

[Cambyses]

I suspect they would have described themselves as religious as opposed to superstitious. Something they had in common with most other ancient peoples.

And as with all peoples throughout the course of history their religious fervour increased when in more difficult times or facing imminent death.

[Jolt]

Does anyone know whether the Romans were particularly superstitious? I find it odd that such a practical and stoic people appeared to have been this way; however at the same time I was wondering given that there was much more written history available for the Romans compared to the Carthaginians etc so that perhaps this view is somewhat overstated (i.e. that because there is more written history, that it is more likely that the daily minutiae would be recorded and therefore give the impression of a more highly superstitious people). Do we know if they were any more/less superstitious than their neighbours?

As I learned in year in history, the Romans went through literary works or sorts looking for prophecies of defeat, after their defeat in Carrhae. And I think they tried to find ways to get rid of the impending doom through the literary works aswell. :P

[QuintusSertorius]

Maybe they were influenced by the free thinking Greeks? More likely they were covetous of conquest and wealth, andn those motivations were uppermost in their minds.

They lived in a Hellenistic world, and especially after the conquest of Greece became much more influenced by Hellenic thought and customs.

[Ibrahim]

They lived in a Hellenistic world, and especially after the conquest of Greece became much more influenced by Hellenic thought and customs.

not even-they make the greeks look godless...they remind me of a primitive Agrticultural society (those totem-pole standards look so much like Gallic totem pole standards). I even think the Romans were more superstitious than the Gaullic tribes..
my 2cents

[Maeran]

The Romans were very religious indeed. Just not in such a dogmatic way as those used to modern organised religions would think of.

The spiritual world was just another part of the world for Romans, and what we would consider to be superstitious might seem to them a practical way of dealing with the realities of a world subject to unknown forces. As such they were very open to new deities, consulted the Sybeline books and the Oracle at Delphi. Part of their religious structure were diviners, who sought signs from the gods in all manner of ways that today would be considered silly superstition- but at the time were potentially a matter of state policy.

[MarcusAureliusAntoninus]

I don't think the Romans were particularly more superstitious than anyone else at the time. Religion and supertition were one in the same. And governments encouraged superstitious thinking. When you're blaming a prophesy or angry gods for something bad, you aren't blaming the corrupt monarchy or priesthood.