Romanæ historiæ anthologia An English exposition of the Romane antiquities, wherein many Romane and English offices are paralleld and divers obscure phrases explained. By Thomas Godwyn Master of Arts: for the vse of Abingdon Schoole.

CHAP. 8.

De Aruspicibus, Aruspicinâ, & Extispicio.

THis kinde of sooth saiers as they were called Aruspices ab aras aspiciendo, from beholding the hoast vpon the altar; so were they called Extispices, ab exta aspiciēdo, from beholding the bowels, or entrals of the beast, called in La∣tine Extra. In this kinde of sooth saying the Aruspex obser∣ved in manner as followeth.l 1.1 first whether the beast to bee sacrificed came vnto the altar willingly, without plucking, and halling; whether he dyed without much struggling, or lowd bellowing; at one blow, or many; whether any vn∣lucky obiect were seene, or heard by thē, whiles they were sacrificing. Againe after the beast was slaine, then would they obserue, whether the bowels were of an vnnatural co∣lor, whether they were not vlcerous, exsiccate, or impostu∣mated: moreover they would divide the bowels into two parts, the one they would call partem familiarem, from whence they would fore-tell what should befall thēselues, & their friends; the other they would call partem hostilem, whēce they gathered predictions touching their enemies. Hence Manto inm 1.2 Seneca describing the entrals of his kil∣led sacrifice saith, Hostile valido robore insurgit latus, mea∣ning by hostile latus, partem hostilem. Afterward when the sacrifice was, to be burned, they considered, whether the flame of the fire was smoaky, whether the smoake rolled, and tumbled in the aire, whether it were of any continu∣ance or no: for all these were vnfortunate tokens, as the contrary did betoken a good and fortunate issue to their designements. These last which observed the fire & smoak were called by a more peculiar name Capnomantes smoakaugurers, from the greek words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, signifying smoake, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 .i. vates, or a soothsayer. The first instructions that the Romanes received was from the Hetrusci, who (as they themselues say) received their knowledge from a lit∣tle boy, which they named Tages, the history being thus. n 1.3 When the Hetrtisci were plowing their lands, vpō a sud∣daine vp started this Tages out of one of the furrows vsing diverse speeches vnto the plow-men: but they being much

affrighted at this sudden, and strange vision, began with a lowd crie to lift vp their voices; vpon occasion wherof ma∣ny other people flocked thither, where hee gaue many good instructions concerning this kinde of footh saying, which were presently recorded in bookes, and practised afterward by the Hetrusci.

Notes

• l 1.1

  Senec O••d. Act. 2. seen. 2.
• m 1.2

  Oedip. Act. 2. scen. 2.
• n 1.3

  Cie. de di∣vinat. Indigenae dixē∣re Tagem, qui primus Hetrus∣cam edocuit gētem, casus ape∣••ire futuros. O∣vid Met. l. vlt.