The Romans worshiped various gods connected with their
lives as shepherds, farmers, and warriors. The chief divinity was Jupiter, who
ruled the heavens and sent rain and sunshine to nourish the crops. The war god
Mars reflected the military character of the Romans. His sacred animal was the
fierce, cruel wolf, his symbols were spears and shields; his altar was the
Campus Martius (Field of Mars) outside the city walls, where the army assembled
in battle array. March, the first month of the old Roman year, was named in his
honor. Some other gods were borrowed from the Greeks, together with many of the
beautiful Greek myths.
DIVINATION
The Romans took many precautions, before beginning any
enterprise, to find out what was the will of the gods and how their favor might
first be gained. They did not have oracles, but they paid much attention to
omens of all sorts. A sudden flash of lightning, an eclipse of the sun, a
blazing comet, or an earthquake shock was an omen which awakened superstitious
fear. It indicated the disapproval of the gods. From the Etruscans the Romans
learned to divine the future by examining the entrails of animal victims. They
also borrowed from their northern neighbors the practice of looking for signs
in the number, flight, and action of birds. To consult such signs was called
"taking the auspices." [14]
