GCSE EDUQAS MODEL ANSWER LATIN LITERATURE
[MODEL 16 MARKER]
I partially agree with the statement as the general consensus of the Romans was that omens were to be taken
seriously, with it being an important part of Roman religion and superstition, though many were sceptical, and
therefore mocking or being dismissive about them.
Image 5 suggests that Romans were serious about interpreting omens. Here, Romulus and Remus are
presented as engaging in augury to decide who would rule what is now called Rome. This indicates that
interpreting omens were considered so important that they could decide something as monumental as the future
of Rome. The source suggests that omens were named as signs from the divine which had much weight on
Romans. Hence, Romulus and Remus are shown in this source to be serious about omens
This same idea can be seen in image 6, where another important figure in Roman history, Augustus, is using
augury. The source depicts the observation of birds eating (which was part of tripidium - the military auspices
before a campaign. If interpreting omens from augury was enough to decide whether a military campaign (which
was very important) had good or bad omens, they must have been important and taken seriously by Romans.
Image 6 also has the depiction of tools, such as the lituus, used to mark out the sky to observe the behaviour of
birds. Perhaps the use of tools shows how Romans went to great lengths to show a good or bad omen, so omens
can be interpreted as being serious. This can also be seen in Image 4 of the bronze liver model which can be
used to read the entrails of sacrificial victims to tell the future, where the use of tools and magical artefacts show
the great lengths that people would go through to get a valid omen, therefore rendering them as serious.
Finally, as in image 5, Suetonius, may also depict how life-altering omens could be. Caesar ignored all the signs
and omens of his death, such as the horses stubbornly refusing to graze and copiously weeping, the king bird
(representing Caesar) being pursued and the laurel twig tearing apart(representing loss of Rome), Calpurnia (his
wife) dreaming of the pediment of the house collapsing and Caesar holding hands with Juppiter in his dream.
Just after these events, Caesar dies. Hence, Suetonius warns the need to pay heed to omens or they will result
in dire consequences (like death, in Caesar’s case).
However, Suetonius also depicts those who are not serious about omens (Caesar). Caesar ignored all the signs
of his death and went inside one senate house, having scorned superstition and mocking Spurinna (the haruspex
who told him of some omens) and accusing him of being false. Caesar represents those in Roman society who
disregarded omens and did not take them seriously.
Many others mocked omens, such as Horace, who teases Galateea for fearing any bad omens as shown by
saying to his lover to let an omen of an owl hooting escort the wicked people. He teases Galatea about
unnecessarily worrying about bad omens (also shown by him teasing that he is a far-sighted augur). Horace’s
mocking tone throughout the poem may indicate that he does not take interpreting omens seriously.
This same mocking attitude can be seen in Martial’s epigram, where he speaks of using up both the salted grain
and the heaps of frankincense (an expensive material), no pigs, nor birds in hen coops, nor eggs remaining and
his flocks decreased and his lambs constantly killed. Martial mocks the extent to which many believed in omens
(as Horace does with Galatea). This can be seen especially with the heaps of frankincense, which were very
costly. Martial’s hyperbolic tone mocks the great lengths that many would go to and suffer to obey omens. He
mocks the general Roman opinion that omens were important.
All in all, I partially agree with the statement. I believe that the general consensus in the Roman world was that
omens were important, as seen by the far-reaching consequences of the omens of image 5 and 6 and Suetonius’
writing of Caesar, as well as the great lengths that people would go through to obtain valid omens (as seen in
image 6 and 4). Despite this, a few individuals did not heed omens and therefore were not serious about them,
such as Caesar (though it can be argued that not heeding omens were his downfall). As well as this, other
individuals mocked omens (Horace and Martial) and therefore also did not take them seriously.
, LATIN LITERATURE - essay plans
“The Romans were extremely serious about interpreting omens”
AGREE DISAGREE
● Image 3 - (daily life) preparations for ● Martial - steps he took to ward off
sacrifice involved mola salsa omens were futile, undermining
sprinkled on the animal’s back omens. In his epigram, he speaks of
before looking at sacrificial entrails using up both the salted grain and
with bronze liver model (Image 4). the heaps of frankincense (an
No good omen meant repeating the expensive material) - Martial’s
entire sacrifice (Martial) hyperbolic tone mocks the great
● Image 4 - life-sized model of a lengths that many would go to and
sheep’s silver, used by a haruspex - suffer to obey omens (Horace).
a lot of attention to detail with an Decided to stop his friend from
intricate map/ labelling took time to telling his dreams. Omens viewed
design - Romans keen to know the as costly /lengthy hassle that
will of the gods - magical artefact (6) deviated from the root causes of
● Image 5 - Romulus and Remus use problems.
augury to decide who would rule ● Horace - He teases Galatea about
what is now called Rome. Omen unnecessarily worrying about bad
decided something as monumental omens (he is a far-sighted augur)
as the future of Rome - signs from teasing tone (Martial). Playfully
the divine. exaggerates power to influence
● Image 6 - Augustus uses augury. nature - strips omens of their
Observation of birds eating supposed power. Sending off poems
(tripidium - the military auspices contrasts Galatea’s good luck and
before a campaign) - matter of the bad omens of others (snake
life/death. Use of tools (litus) shows interrupting the journey they have
the great lengths to show a good or begun. Takes omens in context to
bad omen (Image 4) suggest the small likelihood of them
● Suetonius - Omens are life-altering occurring.
(Image 5). Caesar ignored all the ● Suetonius - depicts those not
signs and omens of his death, such serious about omens. Caesar
as the king bird (representing ignored all the signs of his death
Caesar) being pursued and the and went inside one senate house,
laurel twig tearing apart (loss of having scorned superstition and
Rome). Suetonius warns the need to mocking Spurinna (the haruspex
pay heed to omens or they will result who told him of some omens) and
in dire consequences (like death, in accusing him of being false. Caesar
Caesar’s case) Spurinna was represents those in Roman society
indeed right who disregarded omens
● Horace - precise animal omens
(like owl which was an omen of
death) signify a bad journey
● Martial – lengths he has gone to, to
expiate his friend’s dreams about
him (he used up all of his salted
grain and heaps of frankincense)
● Pliny – Gaius Fannius death was
predicted. Omens unpredictable
nature + indiscriminate prophecies.
, “Magical artefacts and ingredients were only a minor part of beliefs about witchcraft”
➔ Magical artefacts were undoubtedly an important part of witchcraft in Rome, as they
are seen multiple times within the texts, however there are also many instances
when witchcraft is effectively performed without any special ingredients, suggesting
that only specialist types of witchcraft required specific items to work. Although in
many instances, their role in witchcraft is indeed minor, it is impossible to ignore the
fact that some ingredients appear in more than one source, indicating their
widespread popularity.
AGREE DISAGREE
● Ovid - Dipsas doesn’t use artefacts ● Image 2 - Another way of carrying a
or ingredients - raises the dead with message to the Underworld was
a “long spell” so ghosts carry through a curse tablet. These
messages to the Underworld as part artefacts made curses tangible.
of her magic- witchcraft requires Many used curses for daily
innate magical ability She knew the superstition practices/ for justice
spells of Circe. Dipsas can ● Image 3 - reliance on sacrificial
transform herself into a flying animals, sashes and altars to
creature and flash lightning from complete the ritual of getting an
both her eyes- power of a witch. omen. Not strictly witchcraft but still
● Petronius - the soldier was able to supernatural. Ceremony incomplete
transform into a wolf with a ritual ● Ovid - specialist ingredients in
that doesn’t require any ingredients Dipsas’ work - knowledge of healing
(apart from urine). This creates a herbs, threads on a wheel and fluid
narrative that is parallel to Ovid’s from a mare indicate that to be
description of Dipsas’ transformation successful witch you need to have a
into another creature too, as deep understanding of these
transformations used some sort of ingredients. These textual details
internal magic rather than external provide a greater outlook on the
ingredients or artefacts. beliefs about witchcraft and how
● Virgil - Although the priestess uses artefacts were used.
some ingredients to help with her ● Virgil - Dido uses foliage, a model
spell she also asks the Gods for of a body, a sword + other symbolic
help too, namely Erebus, Chaos, items to help with her love spell-for
Hecate and Diana. She also uses certain spells or rituals, having
her voice to conjure them. This certain ingredients was necessary to
perhaps shows that ingredients and complete them
artefacts may have only worked ● Martial - in order to get rid of
when the Gods allowed them to, Nasidianus’ dream, he used salted
meaning that even though they may grains, frankincense and animal
have been important, it was the sacrifices. Different types of spells
God’s who governed how successful needed different things to work
witchcraft could be.
● Suetonius - omens foreshadowed
the death of Julius Caesar and so
omens are a major part of witchcraft
in comparison to magical artefacts.
