Roman priests/sacrifices

Question 1

Pax deorum?

Answer 1

Peace of gods.

Question 2

4 Roman Priests?

Answer 2

-Pontifex Maximus
-Augurs
-Vestal Virgins
-Haruspex

Question 3

Pontifex Maximus?

Answer 3

-Most important Roman priest
-Led the pontifices
-Pontifices were in charge of protecting temples, regulating religious law and overseeing the religious calendar

Question 4

Augurs?

Answer 4

-Job was ‘taking the auspices’
-Means reading the flight of birds, behaviour of animals or direction of thunder
-commonly took place before a battle, marriage or business transaction

Question 5

Vestal Virgins?

Answer 5

-Only female priest in Rome
-protected the flame of vesta and made sure it didn’t go out
-If it went out they would be whipped
-temple held important state documents
-made the mola salsa that was sprinkled on the sacrificial animal’s head

Question 6

Haruspex?

Answer 6

-specialised in the reading of the entrails of animals
-Liver was most important as it told them the most and predicted most of the omens that would depict a person’s future

Question 7

Sacrifice?

Answer 7

-Dress in best clothes and horns would be gilded
-Lead the animal to the alter
-president would veil its head with his toga to prevent any noises that may scare the animal
-flute players would begin
-mola sala would be sprinkled on the animal’s head followed by wine causing it to nod
-priest would utter a prayer
-a popa would struck the animal to stun it and the cultrarius would slit the throat
-The feast then began, God’s received the first share
-Entrails were read for omens by the haruspex
-rest of meat was shared to community