Anyone know some pre-battle Roman religous rituals of the late republic?

Question

I'm writing a paper, just curious if any specific rituals, no matter what they might have been, could have occurred before a battle... I know the Romans were incredibly god-fearing and I really want to play off of that in my paper (I'm writing on the two battles at Philippi). Anyone have any answers, or pointers on where I should start looking?

Chuck

Answer 1

Gods, Temples, and Ritual Practices: By Ton Derks
has Augustus vowing against Caesar's murderers, Brutus and Cassius to honor Mars Ultor with a santuary
in the Forum on the eve of the battle. The temple was later build

Ovid and others report that after the battle the defeated dead were denied any Roman rituals and the bones were left to the elements. Ovid is the first to record the vow of Octavian at Philippi

Suovetaurilia ritual reference was not located for Philippi but that does not mean that no animal was sacrificed prior to the campaign or battle.

The locus classicus is found in Plutarch's Brutus, where the ghost of the Roman general appeared to him before the fateful battle of Philippi. ...

Religion in the Roman Empire
2006 - 237 pages
On the night before the battle of Philippi, one of the major battles of the Roman civil wars, "a vision of Minerva" appeared to [Augustus'] doctor Artorius ...and the physician warned Octavian that he must attend the battle, he did mostly on a liter and was spared as his camp was overrun.

The Roman History of Appian of Alexandria By Appianus
relates a great sacrifice to the solders after the battles given by the leaders. I read over the Philippi sections, and located great details but no direct mention of any specific ritual. But a ritual would have been routine and thus not worth writing about?

Answer 2

As far as I know they were not really that god-fearing, as Lupin said, a good example why is, well, they did not have their own gods or myths, they instead renamed and adopted Greek ones.

All of those rituals that were done were merely to give tradition and morale to the troops, nothing more.

Yah, they cut open animals and stuff but I also heard they used to burn the General's bread that he then had to eat.

Good luck with the essay!!!

Answer 3

They were not that god-fearing. Some were some weren't.

One pre-battle rituals was the augury. A priest would kill a bird and fortell the battles outcome by looking at its liver.

Answer 4

The cult of Mithra was very strong among roman soldiers. It was a mystery religion with secret rites, so I am not sure how much is known about the rituals.