The pullarius was responsible for keeping sacred chickens and using them to make divinations or “predictions.” These holy birds, which had been sourced from the island of Negreponte (now Euboea, near Athens), were kept unfed in their cages for a predetermined amount of time before being released and presented with some grain. If they ate the grain, the venture upon which the Romans were consulting them was deemed favorable. If they didn’t touch it, however, the venture lacked the god’s backing and was therefore to be abandoned.
Don’t forget the Roman human sacrifices that they insisted totally weren’t human sacrifices!
The Romans made a big deal about not performing any form of human sacrifice. They saw it as barbaric. And yet, a culminating part of any Roman triumph involved something that was human sacrifice by another name. You ever seen recreations of a Triumph in a movie, where they’re escorting captured war prisoners bound in chains? Sure, some of those ended up as slaves. But a fair number of those marching were marched in front of the Temple of Jupiter and executed in front of it in an elaborate ritual ceremony. But no…it totally wasn’t a human sacrifice to Jupiter!
Give me a break. The Romans were no different than the Aztecs. The Aztecs were just a little more flamboyant about their human sacrifices.
Indeed. Much like America pretends to be against slavery, and yet still has slavery, they just call it prison labour.