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08-03-2004, 06:14 AM

I am currently reading book 'The Twelve Caesars ' by the Roman scribe Suetonius translated into English from his original writings ,in it he mentions " Victims were sacrificed " does he mean human or animal and were humans ever used ?

**richsc** · 08-03-2004, 10:02 AM

As I understand it, gladiatorial combat was originally a form of human sacrifice, with Etruscan origins, usually at a funeral. I think a human sacrifice was still possible in late Republican times, but I'll have to look up the source when I get home. Legio XX 
Caupona Asellinae

08-03-2004, 01:30 PM

i did read something a year or two back that 
1] human sacrifice was abhorent to Roman sensibilities 
2] there was a very usually a human sacrifice quiet late in the Republic[?] 
 
not sure where i read that- no doubt Ill come across it again in a year or two <img src="http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mark.martin/forum/mark.gif
" width="100" height="100" align="right">

08-06-2004, 04:31 AM

The period I was reffering to about the time of 'Caeser' and 'Augustas ' I quote " a number of victims were chosen and sacrifices were made at the temple " and also " their entrials were read "

**richsc** · 08-06-2004, 06:46 AM

My books, Ancient Roman religion, cite three examples only, and they involved burying two couples, gauls and greeks, alive in the Forum Borarium. The occasions mentioned were; the approach of a large gallic army in around 240bc, the loss at Cannae, and when several Vestal Virgins were discovered to have had affairs. No one understands why greeks had anything to do with it. Legio XX 
Caupona Asellinae

08-06-2004, 07:57 AM

The trouble with the English use of "victim" confuses my students too, whenever we read Iliad, Bk 1. "Victima" in Latin means literally an animal to be sacrificed, the use for humans is figurative. Since animal sacrifice is not usually practiced widely in the U.S. and Western Europe (bullfighting and goat splattering in Spain or Santerian practices from the Caribbean seem exceptional) the modern use of victim almost always applies to human beings (crime or catastrophe). As far as "reading the victim's entrails" the only peole who seem to be into that nowadays and forensic pathologists. Suetonius means animals sacrifices and entrails read of omens. 
 
Rich, Etruscan frescoes (in Tarquiinia?) depict Achilles sacrificing Trojan prisoners from Iliad, 23, Patroclus funeral. 
 
Wade Heaton 
[email protected] 
[url=http://www.togaman.com" target="top]www.togaman.com[/url]

08-13-2004, 07:00 AM

cheers thought so being as the Romans hated the driuds so much as they were into 'Human sacrifices' but I suppose they did sacrifice humans in way in the Arena !!

Alexandr K · 08-25-2004, 01:46 AM

Hi, 
somewhere I've read, that after the catastrophic battle of Arausio (105 BC) it was for the last time, the Romans performed the human sacrifice. 
Greetings 
Alexandr

Carlton Bach · 11-21-2004, 09:46 AM

Human sacrifice (except for gladiatorial combat, which were not classed as religious acts) were illegal in Rome. However, there is some evidence that human sacrifice continued to be practiced in many provinces well into the Principate era. A fascinating read looking at the evidence from pre- and post-Conquest Spain, Gaul and Britain is Miranda Green: Dying for the Gods: Human Sacrifice in Iron Age & Roman Europe, Tempus Publishing 2002. 
 
I don't know the passage you're referring to, but 'victims' may indeed well mean animals.

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