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Ancient Rome. Caesar. Rome During Caesar’s Day . Architecture. Architecture. Architecture. Architecture. Architecture. Architecture. Public street in Rome. Public street in Rome. One of the many Roman temples. One of the many Roman temples. The Roman Forum. The Roman Forum.
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Roman superstitions • To the Romans, superstitions were a natural part of life • Stones, trees, springs, caves, lakes, swamps, mountains, animals and furniture were all thought to host spirits • Children were told stories of nasty creatures that would eat them if they weren’t good
Roman superstitions • Mormo was a terrifying woman with donkey legs • Lamia stalked around looking for children to eat • Romans believed that some houses were haunted, especially if a crime, or murder, had taken place there • Nobody would live in a haunted house and few would enter the building
Roman superstitions • They believed in werewolves • Sea monsters lived in the surrounded seas • Witches and vampires roamed the streets at night and were believed to sneak into the house of a dead man to rob and mutilate his corpse by eating its nose
Roman superstitions • Many believed in amulets and lucky charms • Marriages were planned for certain days and months to prevent being overshadowed by a bad omen • When walking into a house they took care to cross the threshold with their left foot
Roman superstitions • A black cat entering a house, a snake falling from the roof into the yard, or a splitting beam in the house were omens of disaster • Spilling wine or oil could be a sign of bad things to come • To stumble over the doorstep when leaving home was a bad omen and many would choose to spend the day at home
Roman superstitions • If someone mentioned fire at a banquet they could ward off bad luck by pouring water on the table • Nightmares and bad dreams were also signs of bad luck • There are many more superstitions
Festival of Lupercalia • Held for over 1,000 years on February 15th (the Ides of February) • Honored the gods Faunus (“Pan” to the Greeks) and Lupercus, and to honor Romulus (founder of Rome) • Lupus is Latin for “wolf”
The Story of Romulus and Remus Twin brothers Abandoned by parents as babies and put into a basket that was put into the river Discovered by a female wolf Wolf nursed them until they were found by a shepherd
The Story of Romulus and Remus After growing up they decided to build a city where the wolf had taken care of them The brothers fought over the location and Romulus killed Remus Romulus is the founder of Rome
Festival of Lupercalia • Purpose was to ward off evil spirits and purify the city, releasing health and fertility • Also dedicated to purging all afflictions and ills before the spring growing season • Prayers asked for abundant crops and many healthy newborn animals
Festival of Lupercalia • The festival began with the sacrificing of two male goats and a dog • Following a feast, priests cut strips of skins from the animals • The priests ran through the city striking women with the animal skins to ensure fertility • It is believed that Valentine's Day began as part of Lupercalia