Roman Superstitions, Omens, and Customs

Omens and Superstitions

• New brides were carried over threshold of new home so she wouldn't trip- a bad omen
• Spirits could be found in inanimate objects
• Children were told monsters would kill them if they misbehaved
• People wore amulets to ward off evil
• Sighting of an owl meant "impending disaster"
• Take a live bat and carry it around the house and nail it on a window to ward off witchcraft

Marriage + Divorce

Chariot Races and Gladiators

• Marriage was usually between two families, not usually "romantic"
• Slaves and freed slaves could not marry citizens
• Only citizens could marry each other
• Marriage was sealed with contract and kiss
• later in Roman history, anybody could be divorced without a reason if he or she said “I divorce you” three times to his or her spouse in front of a witness
• marriages to close relatives were forbidden,
• citizens could not marry prostitutes
• Marriage had no legal power, just declaration of living together
• Bride wore white tunic with knot of Hercules

• Gladiators began as funeral rituals when the chief died
• Fight to the death between 2 people
• Upper class looked down on gladiators
• Chariot races took place in Circus Maximus
• Extremely dangerous- falling out, trampling, etc

The Romans and Superstitions

Works Cited

The Romans were incredibly superstitious. Superstitions were believed to be a kind of connection between man and the gods. Due to the growing field of science, many phenomena were left unexplained, which also contributed to superstition. The Romans also had several omens and strange customs.

Roman Superstitions, Omens, and Customs

By: Farwa Shakeel, Euna Shin, Preeta Acharya, Dvorah Southland, and Patrick Lambino

"Gladiators, Chariots, and the Roman Games."

Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http://www.ushistory.org/civ/6e.asp>.

"Past & Present." Superstition, Superstition and Religious Repression in the Late Roman Republic and Principate (100 Bce–300 Ce). N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.

<http://past.oxfordjournals.org/content/199/suppl_3/72.extract>.

PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. <http://

www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/life.html>.

Family Customs

• Breakfast and lunch were light meals
• Dinner was taken very seriously
• Had several dining rooms for expanded entertainment
• The oldest living male, or paterfamilia, had complete control of the household and land affairs
• Babies were only accepted into the family if the paterfamilia picks it off the ground where the midwife lay it down
• Only paterfamilias could own property and disown or kill their children