Roman Ghost Stories?

[flavia]

Flavia:
Good luck. I say this because the Romans had a very different view of the living and the dead than we do. It seems that to them the so called spirits of the dead were never that far away. They could help or hinder ones everyday life. They were often worshipped, or at least prayed to. Sorry for the sweeping generalizations. A "visit" from a dead ancestor was a not uncommon motif amongst the romans.

The atomists, such as Lucretius explained "ghosts" in terms of atoms (De rerum natura IV, 45f, 84f, 721f).

A specific "ghost story" in the modern sense can be found in one of the leters of Pliny, letter VII, 27. Pliny's may be the best known example. This is probably the closest to what you are looking for.

Someone else, can not remember who, may be the satirist Lucian, has a number of "ghost" stories.

Kevin

Thanks for the info I will look them up. I hear in one place in England roman soldiers are seen to walk into the sea perhaps on an ancient roman road and in another place a lone sentry is seen still on duty after all this time. I find there stories fascinating especially that they are seen in todays times. Flavia